Operation:Cerberus
by Raggedydollz
Summary: Emma travels to the Underworld, determined to save the man she loves. But to save him, she has to pay the ultimate price.
1. Operation: Cerberus

_A/n: I love Emma's new sassy attitude. Being the dark one has made her stronger, wiser. This story is dedicated to Emma/Hook. I have to admit, I wasn't necessarily shipping Captain Swan before, but the winter finale won me over. I also love how they're not leaving Henry behind anymore._

 _ **Operation Cerberus:**_ _Emma travels to the Underworld to save the man she loves. But can she save him without falling back into the darkness? It's a fight of will and determination as they all must face the demons of the underworld, and within themselves._

* * *

 **Recap (verbatim):**

 _Mary Margret gave her daughter a disturbed glance as she repeated, "You want to go to hell?"_

" _The Underworld." Emma clarified, as if that made it less dangerous._

" _That's quite a distinction." David chimed in, not seeing the difference._

" _Gold tricked us all again. Everything Hook died for was for nothing." Emma explained. "It's unfair to Killian."_

" _Emma, we just got you back, we can't risk you giving into the darkness again!" Mary Margret explained, hoping her daughter could see reason._

" _I'm not giving into darkness; I'm giving in to love." Emma revealed with a sigh. "I learned my lesson. I'm taking a page out of your book and I'm going to do this right."_

" _But Emma you know it's a one for one trade. Someone still has to die to take his place." David objected._

" _You two share one heart," Emma gave an unwavering stare. "So will we."_

 _Regina saw the desperation, the determination in Emma's eyes. This was happening, whether they all approved or not. Shrugging at the Charmings', she added "It could work…"_

" _It WILL work." Emma assured._

 _Robin, ever the voice of reason spoke up, pausing from his drink. "Forgive me if I'm missing the obvious, but how does one get to the underworld?"_

* * *

 _ **-The Lake Acheron**_

 _Gold stood at the bank of the lake as the heroes gathered around. Emma came up to him._

" _Do it." She commanded._

 _Gold lifted the dagger in his hand, but paused._

 _He'd grown a soft-spot for Emma. He could feel her power, connected with his. She was strong, resilient, and if he wasn't careful, she'd one day defeat him. Ironically, she was everything he'd want in a daughter, if he'd had one._

" _Are you sure about this?" He asked, only slightly concerned with her well-being._

" _DO. IT." She commanded once again._

 _Rumple sliced his hand, and two drops of blood fell into the lake Acheron. All of them watched as a fog appeared. Charon arrived in the mist, the boat mere feet away from them._

 _Emma didn't look back as she stepped into the lake. Hearing the footsteps of her family behind her, she exhaled. Up until this moment, she didn't know if they were there to accompany her, or wish her luck. But she should have known-they were family, and they did things together. They were stronger that way._

 _With the assurance that she had the people she loved most backing her up, Emma vowed, "Hook, I will find you. I will always find you."_

* * *

Chapter One: Operation Cerberus

The boat ride was eerie. Robin, Mary Margret, David and Regina sat quietly talking, not wanting to disturb Emma. She'd been traumatized enough.

"No matter what happens," Mary Margret whispered. "We are not leaving the Underworld without Emma."

"You know how stubborn she is." Regina chided.

"From her side of the family." David added. Mary Margret rolled her eyes, but ignored him. "I hope like hell we can save him, but if not…"

"She has to learn to keep on living." Regina finished sadly. "Agreed."

"Is there any way we can make the Charon go faster?" David asked Regina as they moved slowly passed the willow trees of Storybrooke.

"You wanna ask him?" Regina nodded towards the shadowy figure that stood seven feet tall in a shadowy darkness.

David just stared. "Nah, I'm good."

Henry watched as his mom stood at the mast, gazing into the night as the boat neared the edge of town. He came to stand next to her, thinking about the mission. The journey they were about to embark on, needed a name.

"Operation Cerberus." He declared aloud.

Emma turned to him, coming out of her daze. "What?"

"That's what I named this mission-Operation Cerberus."

Emma smirked, slightly. "What's a Cerberus?"

"It's a three-headed beast that guards the gates of Hell." He told her grimly.

Emma nodded. "Well it sure fits."

Henry said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad that you're not giving up. You deserve a happy ending."

"I told you Henry, you're my happy ending." She reminded him. "I'm just hoping I can one day, be your hero again."

"I'm still mad about Violet," Henry confirmed quietly, "but you're my mom, and you'll always be my hero."

"Thanks kid." Emma whispered, on the verge of tears again.

A part of her felt guilty. Henry had gone through a lot in the past year, even before her becoming the dark one and ripping out Violet's heart. She knew Henry missed his father, and they hadn't had enough time together. And now, she was willing to go to the Underworld for Killian, but not for Neil? It just wasn't fair, and she owed Henry.

Except, the teenager that was in love with Neil is worlds apart from the woman she was now. Her love for him was ageless, but for Killian it was timeless. But how to explain that to her son, she didn't even want to think about it.

As they passed Storybrooke, David came to them inquiring, "Henry, what all do you know about the Underworld?"

Regina, Robin and Mary Margret had joined them near the mast.

"A lot, Gramps." Henry assured them. "I paid attention in school. Though how much of it is real, or made up, I don't know."

"Doesn't matter, as long as we know all the players." Regina stated. She glanced towards David. "The Underworld is unknown for a reason."

"Well, let's not plan on joining the ranks. We need a plan." Robin told them.

Henry thought for a moment. "The underworld is ruled by Hades, who prides himself on dead souls. It's what gives him his power."

"Which means, he won't give up Hook without a fight." Mary Margret sighed. "Any ideas?"

"We're going to need allies." Emma spoke up. "No one of us has ever been to the underworld, and we can't afford to get lost."

"In the legends, the Erinyes were allowed to come and leave when they wanted." Henry recalled.

"Shit." Regina cursed. "The Erinyes seek vengeance against anyone who has lied or had done an malicious act. I'm the evil queen, Emma was the dark one, Robin's a thief, and the Charmings are murderers and kidnappers."

Robin cursed. "Damn, they sure as shit, won't help us."

"No," Mary Margret shook her head. "But they'll help Henry. He's the only one who is innocent of a crime."

David turned to Henry, raising a brow. "You ready for this kid?"

"Born ready." Henry vowed.

The boat creaked as it came to a slow stop. The fog was thick and cold. They had been traveling for what felt like an eternity, and nothing was familiar. Storybrooke had faded from view and they could barely see their own hands.

"What the hell is going on?" Regina snapped.

Emma stared at Charon. "Why have we stopped?"

"Mom." Henry breathlessly called.

She turned to stare at what had caught his attention. The fog had cleared slightly, to reveal the boat was surrounded by people. Hollow half-white creatures, with no eyes, but their faces appeared to be in agony.

"It's the…undead." Regina whispered as she saw ghost shells of endless people who had died. "Their souls are waiting to be ferried."

"The stories say if a body isn't buried and coined, they couldn't board the boat." Henry said sadly. "I think these are people who haven't been buried."

"So they just sit here?" Mary Margret gasped. It was horrible.

"They can't cross over, but they can't go back." David breathed, watching the souls as they waded in the water.

"What about Hook? He just died 9 hours ago. He's not buried." Robin stated, looking around for any signs of him.

"I put a preservation spell on the body until Emma was ready to bury him." Regina explained softly. "And since his body is technically in a graveyard crypt, he's considered…buried."

"This is depressing." Robin told her.

Snow watched sadly as small children tried to reach into the boat. She turned away and allowed her husband to cradle her head.

More souls approached the boat. The Charon, outstretched its hand, and a black flame emerged. The flame was thrown in the direction of the lost souls, trying to ward them off.

"Hey!" Emma shouted, grabbing its arm. " Leave 'em alone, they're already dead!" The Charon flicked its wrist, sending her flying to the floor.

The boat began to rock as more souls gathered towards the vessel. Henry hung onto Emma. "Mom, we can't let them get in the boat!"

Regina nodded, analyzing the situation while summoning her fire. "Henry's right! If one of them gets in, one of us has to take their place!"

Everyone tried to fight with new-found purpose. Regina had lit flames to Robin's arrows as he shot them, warding off as many as he could. Mary and David created makeshift torches from old wood, fighting off the souls at the back of the boat.

But Emma was frozen. She couldn't torment these people. _'There has to be another way.'_ She thought to herself.

She saw the pleading looks they gave to those on board. She could feel their pain-all of it. They were begging for help. They were begging for a savior.

"Mom!" Henry called as one of the souls grabbed his arm. Regina shouted desperately to Emma, "SWAN! _Do something_!"

Breaking out of her trance, Emma summoned her magic, letting it build within her. She caught the attention of some of the lost souls, pleading to her.

"I'm so sorry," she cried, "but I can't let you leave!"

She pushed her palm out, delivering a massive blast. Everyone on the boat was knocked down. Charon turned its eye-less gaze to her, and Emma nodded. "Go." She whispered.

Charon moved its oar, and the boat began to glide faster. Emma helped her parents up as Robin did the same for Henry and Regina.

"How did you get it to go faster?" Robin asked.

"We understand each other." Was all Emma said, as she sat down, and put her hands in her head. David saw the toll everything was taking on his daughter, and he was suddenly in protection mode.

Taking a seat next to her, he put an arm around her. "There was nothing you could do for them, Emma." He said, rubbing her shoulder in circles. It always comforted her mother, maybe it would have the same effect now.

"I can't do anything for anybody!" Emma cried into his chest. "I couldn't save Merlin, I couldn't protect my family, couldn't destroy the darkness, and I let that gotdamn sociopath regain his power and make Hook's death pointless!"

' _That's it.'_ David thought as he turned and faced her. "Listen to me Emma Swan!" he growled. Even Mary Margret jumped slightly.

"You are the product of true love, the sheriff, a princess, the dark one, and the savior! You saved everyone a thousand times over! Don't ever say you can't because if anyone can bring Hook from the Underworld, and turn Gold into a hero, it's you." David ranted.

Taking a breath, he helped her to her feet. "You were destined, to end the darkness Emma." He finished with a stern voice that bode no arguing.

Emma gawked at him, never seeing her father so upset. "You believe in me that much?"

"We all do Emma." Regina spoke up. "We wouldn't be here otherwise."

Emma looked around the boat. Robin nodded, Henry smiled, and her mother gave her a kiss on her forehead.

They shortly arrived to a black shore, a small dock awaited through the mist. Henry saw skyscraper statues of Hades and broken pillars. "We're here." He told them.

Everyone stepped off the boat, checking out their surroundings. Charon began to move again, the ferry disappearing.

The sky was neither light nor dark. The waves that lapped the shore were black, and lifeless. No sign of anything alive, or anything dead. It was a place that truly reminded you of unknown.

"We should team up." Robin suggested. "Me and Regina in the back, David and Mary Margret in the middle, and Henry with Emma."

"That way we're covered on both ends, smart." David agreed. Grabbing his wife's trembling hand, he whispered, "You ready for this?"

Mary Margret nodded. She stole a glance at her daughter, who hadn't said a word since they arrived. "Emma?"

Emma just looked out at the empty valley, clouds of smoke, obstructing any further view. She didn't know what waited for her on the other side. She didn't know if it was even worth risking her family. Could she lay it all on the line for love? Could she surrender herself to it like she had so foolishly done before?

Henry walked up to her, taking her hand. "Mom." He called again. "You ready?"

After was seemed like an eternity, Emma spoke. "Yeah." She breathed, pulling herself together. "Let's go save Hook."

* * *

-EOC-

 _ **A/n: What do you think? Let me know. I tried to make Emma still…Emma. She's stronger, but she still has the pressures of trying to do everything on her own, and needing her family foundation. I chose the lake Acheron (in reference to the river Acheron- because in Greek mythology it's the first of the five rivers, which is the river of grieving or pain. I thought it would be cool to tie it into Storybrooke to explain exactly how it's a portal to hell. I hope you continue to read it and enjoy. I look forward to reviews and feedback!**_


	2. Unfinished Business

A _ **/n: Sorry for the wait. I have work, and I was going through a bit of writer's block. I realized I didn't want my story to be another plotline where Emma just goes to the underworld, gets Killian's soul, and lives happily ever after. So I had to rethink some chapters, and rewrite a few; including this one. That also explains why the summary is a bit different two. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or the characters within. I believe it belongs to ABC Network.**_

 _ **Apologies, for any mistakes wherein.**_

 _ **Chapter II: Unfinished Business**_

* * *

Making their way from the beach wasn't a difficult task. Everyone stayed much to themselves as they trudged up the hill.

Henry observed the landscape, frowning a bit. Emma caught his vexed expression out of her peripheral vision. "You okay kid?"

"I don't know." He admitted. "I'm getting a sense of de ja vu….Like I've been here before."

"That's because you have." A voice called out. Everyone stared in shock as Mr. Gold appeared before them, poised as always.

He held his hands at his waist, like a he had been patiently expecting them. "Did you enjoy the trip?"

"A real pleasure cruise." Emma retorted rolling her eyes.

"How did you get here?" Henry asked. "You weren't on the boat with us."

"For the dark one, passage to the underworld is a lot…simpler." was the only explanation Gold offered.

As they reached the top of the mountain, the only thing that came into view, was a massive valley.

"The hell?" Regina thought aloud. There was nothing for miles.

"A cloaking spell." Gold explained. "To keep outsiders succeeding in pointless endeavors like this one." He gave a pointed stare towards Emma.

"What is this place?" David asked.

"Welcome to Elysian Fields." He introduced. "The gate to the Underworld."

"If this is some kind of sick trick-" Robin started, but Gold raised a hand. "I assure you, it's not. In order to see the Underworld, you have to be either dead, or have the key."

"The blood of the dark one." Emma finished. She nodded towards his hand. "Good thing you can still bleed."

"I don't plan on making it a habit, dearie." He shot back. Taking out his out his dagger, he once again, sliced his own hand.

Drops of blood fell to the ground, and a ripple effect started. After a moment, Emma gasped discovering they were in the middle of a massive graveyard. Not just any graveyard-the one from Storybrooke.

"Is Hook here?" Snow asked.

"That's an answer you'll have to find out on your own." Gold told them all, before starting to walk away.

"We had a deal, you little imp!" Emma yelled.

"The deal was me to get you here, not actually help you." Gold paused. "I've more than kept my share of the bargain."

"So what will you be doing while we roam the Underworld." Robin asked what was on everyone's mind. Leaving the Dark One unattended was a bad move, and they all knew it.

Gold started to resume his walk down the hill. "That is my business."

"BULLSHIT!" David roared, clearly fed up.

Snow grabbed his arm, a bit worried about his temper. "David,"

"No, I am TIRED of his selfishness at the expense of my family!" He huffed. "Our lives have been nothing but hell since you've been in it!"

"I think you're mistaking me for Regina." Gold's smartass remark made Regina growl.

"Regina only became evil because of you." Snow defended.

"Blame me all you want, but being evil is _choice_." Gold reminded them.

"Only because you fed and manipulated it." Snow sneered. "Had you not interfered in her life, Regina would have found Robin that much sooner."

Regina paused, snapping her head to Gold. "Is that true?!" She interrogated.

Gold just glared away, not willing to meet her hurtful gaze.

"He knew the future Regina." Snow answered. "He knew you'd eventually find true love after Daniel, and that would stop you from turning dark…"

"And I would have never cast the curse." Regina finished.

"And I wouldn't have had to send our daughter through a damn wardrobe." David snapped. "So here's what's going to happen-you're going to help us find Hook, and bring him back."

"Or what, your majesty?" Gold snorted. He took a step towards David, clenching his teeth. "I'm still the dark one, and let's face it- you don't have it in you."

"But I do." Regina barked. "I've already done so many evil things, and I have no qualms about doing one more."

"And I won't stop until that dagger is buried six feet underground, in your chest." Robin threatened, stepping closer to David.

"I wouldn't test us on this. A little darkness is worth it if it gets rid of the whole." Snow advised. "We've got nothing else to lose."

"Only your lives." Gold spat. Emma waved an arm. "Look around, Dark One…it's too late for that."

"And I've informed a special someone to tell Belle the truth, in-case you return without us." Robin chimed in.

"Do we have a deal?" David asked, raising a brow. "Or should we battle it out, right here and now, once in for all?"

Gold was fuming by the ears, at having a mutiny on his hands. Centuries of crooked deals were finally beginning to take their toll. He stood in frustration, weighing his options.

"Tick, tock crocodile." Emma chanted crossing her arms.

With a snarl, he uttered, "If I must."

"Good. Now let's do this." Emma commanded, looking out on the ghostly hollows of the Underworld known as Storybrooke.

* * *

They entered the town, barely comprehending what their eyes were seeing. The clock tower was in shambles, and everything appeared to be either burned or broken.

"Stick close." David advised everyone. No one objected, forming a tight circle as they fell in step.

Emma swallowed down her pain at the sight of her beloved yellow beetle, tarnished and stripped down to a hunk of scrap.

The people were all void of life, but still very much active, running loose like animals. Some were monsters from story books that she remembered as a child. Others were ones she didn't know, but by everyone else's' expressions, they seemed to.

"How is this possible?" She asked absently.

"It doesn't matter." Gold answered vaguely. "This is our reality now."

"We need answers, Gold." Regina demanded.

"And there's only one place you can get them, dearie." He replied.

As they turned the block, he halted at the steps. "We're here."

Regina exhaled. "I should have known." They all stared up at the rundown building that read, MAYOR.

Turning to the group, Gold advised. "Regina has to be the one to go in."

"What, no way! No one goes anywhere alone!" Robin objected.

"Those are the rules." Gold sighed, growing impatient of everyone combatting every word he said. "Whoever is in there won't be receptive to someone who they don't know."

"I'll go." Regina agreed. "Besides, the dead can't hurt us, right?"

"Oh they most certainly can." Gold chuckled. "The real question is, whether they want to."

"You got this?" Emma asked. Regina studied the building for a moment.

"Yeah." She breathed.

Robin took a step closer to her, giving a very inappropriate kiss. "I'm giving you 5 minutes, and then I'm coming in after you."

She touched his cheek, loving his protectiveness. "Deal."

Turning to the front door, Regina felt the magic behind it. She barely touched the door, before it opened wide.

She entered, summoning her magic, to prepare for an attack. The house appeared to have been ravaged. Her beautiful marble interior was covered in soot and dirt. The curtains had been slashed, and her beloved tree in the courtyard, struck down and wilted.

"Damn…" she whispered, feeling a twinge of pain.

As she climbed the rickety steps, she heard noises coming from her office. The door was open, and the chair swiveled slightly.

"Hello." She called out, for lack of a better greeting.

The chair swiveled full circle to reveal…Cora.

* * *

"Mother?" Regina whispered, not believing she was here. She didn't look dead at all.

Cora stood, smiling. "Regina. I've waited so long to see you again."

"I could stand to wait a little longer." Regina mumbled, swallowing down all her anger in resentment. She could barely contain her tears.

"And yet, here you are." Cora said simply, folding her hands in front of her.

"I'm here for answers, mother." Regina clarified. "Not to mend old wounds."

Cora cleared her throat. "I see."

"REGINA!" Robin called, his footsteps nearing the top of the stairs. He entered the office in a rush, Emma and everyone else on his heels.

"I see you finally found your true love after all." Cora smirked at Robin Hood. Regina blocked him from Cora's line a view. "That's not why we're here, either."

"Then tell me. Why are you here?" Cora asked. Glancing at Rumple, she laughed. "It must be something major for you to drag the Dark One to the Underworld."

"I assure you, I'm not thrilled." Gold grumbled, glaring out of the window.

"No matter the reason, there are forces at play here beyond your control." Cora warned them all.

"What does that mean exactly?" Emma said, crossing her arms.

"It means dear girl, that you should be aware that this isn't a world that plays by your rules." Cora told her. "It's not about good vs. evil. It's about unfinished business."

"Well I have some." Emma breathed.

"We need to find Hook, mother." Regina told her, cutting right to the point.

"The pirate's dead?" Cora hardly suppressed a surprised chuckle. "I can't say he didn't have it coming…such a waste though. He did have such a handsome face."

"Is he here?" Robin asked. Cora lifted a shoulder. "It's possible. If he has unfinished business, then yes…and I think I know where to find him."

"Wait, you're going to help us? Just like that?" Regina didn't believe it. Her mother was conniving and manipulative. Why should she be any different now?

"Oh Regina," Cora sighed. "I know you don't trust me…but I'm not the one you should fear.

"She's right." Gold agreed. "Hades won't be too thrilled about our little venture, and it's him you should look out for."

"Before we set out on our little journey, I'm curious." Cora commented lightly. "How did he die?"

Emma paused, before telling the truth. "I killed him."

* * *

As they walked through town, everyone watched as Cruella's car swerved recklessly in the road.

They passed the all too familiar pawn shop, and Gold paused. There was a force calling to him. "You'll have to go without me." He announced, and headed towards the front door.

"Gold…" David's tone warned, but Cora held up a hand. "Let him go. He has unfinished business."

Gold glanced back at Cora, who nodded. Gold went into the shop.

"Come, we better keep moving." She told them. "You don't want to stand still for too long in this town. Draws attention."

The group followed her as she led them towards the edge of town, into the woods.

"In order to leave this world, you'll each need coins from the Flying Dutchman." Cora revealed while walking.

"The Flying Dutchman is real?" Henry asked. "Awesome."

"Why are we headed there?" Snow asked as they trekked further into the woods.

"You don't belong in this world." Cora reminded them. "And the longer you stay, the harder it will be for you to leave. Call it a failsafe."

"But we haven't found Hook." Emma objected.

"As luck would have it dear, the Flying Dutchman has just acquired a new Captain." Cora raised a knowing brow.

"You assigned him to the Dutchman." Regina concluded with a small smile. Her mother was always one step ahead.

As they neared the edge of the Forrest, the harbor appeared in the valley.

Cora stopped walking. "This part of the journey, I cannot follow." She told the group.

"Why not?" Regina demanded to know. "You said you would take us to him."

"And I have." Cora indicated to the massive ship that stood in the bay. "But Dutchman never makes port, and the waters surrounding it is connected to the river Lethe."

"The river of forgetfulness." Henry clarified. Cora smiled at him. "Well aren't you clever."

"Well that slows things up a bit." David retorted with a sigh.

"The living has nothing to worry about." Cora revealed. "Its waters only affect the dead."

"What exactly won't we remember?" Robin asked.

"The thing I love most." Cora explained, while smiling at Regina. "My daughters."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Emma glanced around the group.

They all started for the clearing, when Cora called out, "A word of caution savior."

Everyone paused as she took Emma's hand. "If he's found peace, it's best to leave him that way."

And with that last bit of advice, Cora vanished.

* * *

The ship was exactly as Cora said. Surround by water, floating idly.

"It's probably dropping off souls." Robin whispered. Regina nodded.

"How do we get out there?" Snow whispered the question. "Cora said it doesn't make port."

"That's because there isn't one." Henry observed. "But if my moms _made_ one…" he tailed off.

Emma and Regina glanced at each other. "First time for everything right?" Emma shrugged.

Regina raised a brow. "First, we need a cover." She raised her arms over the water, and concentrated as her palms started to glow purple.

A heavy fog appeared over the harbor. Turning to Emma, she whispered. "Your turn."

Emma grabbed a piece of wood, focusing on it until it glowed. Soon, many pieces fused together to form a rustic bridge to the Dutchman.

They wasted no time, running as quietly as they could. Through a small cloaking spell, they boarded the ship, ducking behind the barrels. Voices could be heard, feet scampering around trying to complete their tasks. But that's not what had everyone frozen.

At the helm, stood Killian…kissing another woman. Emma felt the lungs escape her body as she turned away, leaning her head against the barrels.

"We're too late." She whispered.

"Emma, don't give up." David whispered. "He loves you, he just doesn't _remember."_

"I know. But what's worse? Forcing his memory only to be in pain again?" she closed her eyes, feeling like lead was in her stomach.

"We come this far, and now you're just going to walk away?" Robin exclaimed.

Emma felt the sting of tears in her throat, but she refused to cry. "You think I want this? To leave without him?!"

"Well you sure as hell aren't fighting for him." Regina scowled.

"Because he's already forgotten me." Emma rebutted. "You heard what Cora said. The river makes you forget the thing you love most."

"What if you're not the thing he loves most?" Robin spoke up. Everyone cut daggers at him, and he sighed. "Well I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he did live for over 300 years!"

"Yes, and he's had other lovers." Regina agreed solemnly.

"Doesn't that make it even more worth finding out for sure?" Snow asked them all.

But Emma shook her head. "If he's found peace, I won't take that away from him."

"Emma, that's not it and you know it." David argued. "You're scared, I get it, but it's time to stop running."

She didn't confirm or deny the allegation. "Let's just get the coins and go home."

"Are you sure?" Snow asked sadly. She was so disappointed that her daughter had given up so easily.

"Yeah." Emma nodded. "It's over."

"Wait." Regina looked around. "Where's Henry?"

"Look boys!" A voice called out. "We got us an intruder!"

David closed his eyes. "Shit."

* * *

 _ **A/n: A long chapter, with a lot of information. I promise chapter 3 will be a quicker update!**_

 _ **Review, Follow, Favorite-me!**_

 _ **-R.**_


	3. The Dutchman

_**A/n: HAPPY NEW YEAR! Back as promised with another chapter. Reviews and Follows are ALWAYS welcome. Thank you. I mostly focus on the follows/favorites more than reviews. I don't always review a story I like, but I will follow it until the end and then review.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time or the characters within.**_

 _ **Apologies again, for any mistakes wherein.**_

 _ **Chapter III: The Dutchman**_

* * *

"Parley!" Henry shouted. "I want to speak to the captain, and you can't hurt me till the parley is complete."

"Bring him here." The woman called out. The pirates grabbed Henry by the arm, throwing him at her feet.

"Milah…" Henry gasped in recognition.

"It's Mistress Jones! She roared. "And whatever business you have with the captain, you can take it up with my sword."

He stared up at his grandmother, not believing how similar they were. He had the same color hair, the same nose. It was strange to see a woman who died over 300 odd years ago, standing in front of him and not have a clue as to who he is.

"Search him." She instructed. Two of the pirates began to pull on him, checking for anything of value. They weren't disappointed. One of the pirates pulled out a handful of Dutchman doubloons.

Milah snatched them up, putting them in a coin purse. She took a kneel to meet his eye level, grabbing his neck in a choking grip. "You picked the wrong ship to steal from boy."

She stood, unsheathing her cutlass. The pirates all cheered, chanting for her to spill blood.

Pointing the sword directly under Henry's Chin, she demanded. "WHO ARE YOU."

"He's my son!" A voice called.

Milah turned to see a blonde woman, standing at the helm of the Dutchman, with four other intruders.

"Well you're just in time!" Milah called out with a leer. "I was just about to teach your boy a lesson in manners."

"If you want to fight, then fight me." The brunette called out next to the blonde. They approached the middle of the ship, the men shoving their way through to her.

"Let him go." The brunette threatened. "Or you won't have to wait for judgment. I'll send you to hell myself."

Milah laughed, as well as the crew above the ship. She took her sword from the boy's neck. Another short haired brunette approached the boy, pulling him into the safety of their huddle.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave." She told them. The pirates made snarling noises as they surrounded the group.

"Not only are we leaving, but we're taking the gold with us." The blonde woman challenged.

"I don't think so, wench." Milah snarled, drawing her weapon on them. "MEN. ATTACK."

* * *

"Anyone got a plan?" Robin asked, not taking his eyes off the pirates that began to close in.

"Yeah." Emma said as she drew her sword. "Get Henry off the ship, kick their ass, try not to get killed."

"Good plan." Snow agreed. "Regina, give us a little breathing room."

Regina lifted her hands, sending all the pirates flying back with a powerful blast. "Now!"

They all charged, trying to fight their way through the pirates. Emma blocked a blow from her left, swinging back just in time to meet Milah's sword with her own.

She moved quickly, trying her best to play defense against Milah, who moved like…well, a ghost. But she was determined. She needed that gold to get her family home, and if need be, she'd kill Milah again to get it.

"You think you can come onto my captain's ship and steal from us?" Milah growled, giving a swift swipe of the sword.

Emma barely escaped it. She did a quick sidestep and roll that Hook had taught her, kicking Milah's sword out of her hand.

Emma pushed her against the mass, the cutlass tightly at her throat. "YES." She answered.

 _"ENOUGH."_ A voice thundered out. The pirates all halted in their efforts to kill the intruders.

Robin held his position, along with Snow and Charming. Henry stood eerily still as a sword was once again at his throat.

Emma felt herself go rigid with fear, hope…love and despair. Hook was there, looking right through Henry. He didn't recognize him, or anyone else.

She lowered her weapon from Milah's neck. Hook made his way towards her, dragging Henry along.

"You've caused quite a stir lass." Hook remarked with a cocky brow. "Now be a good girl and drop your weapons, or I'll kill this little spitfire."

Regina gave her a glance, and Emma nodded. They all lowered their weapons. Pirates seized them, tying their hands and feet.

Milah picked up her sword and went to Hook's side. "They were trying to make off with the doubloons."

Hook appeared concerned as he checked Milah. "Are you alright luv?"

She smiled, giving him a loving kiss. "Aye Captain."

Emma turned away, not being able to stomach the sight of Hook kissing another woman, again. Even if she was his first love. On some level she was rational- he didn't remember her or their life together.

But that was a good thing right? If he hadn't remembered her, she was the thing he loved most.

"Who are you?" Hook asked as he approached. "And let's have the truth. I'd hate to have to kill your son. My men just swabbed the decks."

There was a light hackle among the crew as Hook arched his cunning brow. She wished more than anything; they were back in Storybrooke with him trying his luck at making her do something less than honorable.

"My name is Leia." She answered quietly, not wanting to reveal herself. If Hook didn't know who she was, he could still be at peace. "I died some time ago."

"Now that's interesting, because the dead don't have magic." Hook smirked as he circled her. He stopped, and whispered in her ear. "Say goodbye to your son lass."

* * *

Milah raised her sword, preparing to stab Henry.

"NO!" Emma called out. "You're right! I'm not dead! We came to the Underworld to find someone. That's the truth!" she rapidly explained.

"Who were you searching for?" Hook demanded to know.

"…You." Emma breathed. Tears finally unleashed, and she couldn't stop the floodgates. "We came here for you, Killian."

"What?" Hook asked as he stared into her eyes. She was a lovely creature to be sure. Her emerald eyes told no lies as she stared back at him, pleadingly. He didn't know her, but apparently, she thought she knew him.

"You died, and I came here for you." Emma explained.

"You're not taking him anywhere, witch." Milah seethed, stepping closer to Hook. "Killian, she's obviously a lying mermaid or siren."

"Aye." Hook agreed, not breaking his skeptical, albeit curious, glare at Emma.

"She's not lying!" Henry called out, struggling against his hold. "We came here to bring you home."

"Killian…" Emma reached out a hand to him, but Hook snatched his arm back.

"It's Captain! And I wouldn't lass. My lady has a real jealous streak." He threatened.

Emma tore her hurtful gaze from him to Milah. Milah put a hand on to Killian's arm, staking her evident claim.

Killian wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "We're done here." He turned to the crew. "Boys, bleed them dry!"

* * *

Cheers erupted as the crew started to move in. Emma thought about what David said. _He loves you, he just doesn't remember._

"I can prove it!" Emma shouted over the noise. Killian paused, half turning. "I doubt it."

Emma raised her hand, to show him the ring that never left her hand. Killian stared back at the ring, then gripped his chest where it once resided. Milah followed his gaze. "Is that…"

"Aye, It's my brother's ring." Killian confirmed, walking back to Emma. "How did you get it?!" he barked.

Emma glanced at a fuming Milah, before answering. "You gave it to me in Camelot, right before you told me you loved me."

"LIES." Milah objected.

Regina glared at her. "It's the truth. You've been dead for over 300 years. Killian's heart doesn't belong to you anymore, it belongs to Emma, and we came all the way to the underworld to get it."

Killian saw the ring on her pointer finger trying to put the pieces together in his mind. "No, that can't be. I've only loved Milah."

Emma sighed, fighting back more tears. "It kills me to do this to you now because you've found peace …but, I can't leave without you knowing how much I loved you."

"You're stalling, and I've had enough of your lies." Milah told her lifting her sword. Emma didn't flinch as she held it to her neck.

"Go ahead." Emma dared. "But I'm not running this time."

David smiled proudly.

Killian saw the determination in her lovely face. She was a fighter, and right now, she was fighting for him. He had to admire her effort.

"Just because you believe something doesn't make it true." He said quietly. Whether he was trying to convince her, or himself, was less certain.

Emma smirked at the irony of it all. "Those words are finally coming back to bite me in the ass."

Milah pressed the blade closer to her throat. "Any last words?" she growled.

Emma didn't break her gaze towards Killian. "I never told you before...the moment you sold your ship for me, I fell in love with you."

"ENOUGH!" Milah snapped, stepping back to give a final blow with her sword. She brought it down with all the force within her spirit.

Emma prepared herself for the blow, hearing screams from her family. She could die knowing she hadn't ran away-that she'd fought for love. Her only regret, was she wasn't strong enough be able to save him. Closing her eyes, Emma knew the cutlass to pierce her heart, ending her suffering.

And then...a clank of hard metal resounded on the ship.

* * *

Milah stood in disbelief as Killian held the sword in his hook. He cut Milah a sympathetic glance, before taking the weapon from her.

"Killian?" She questioned sadly. Her eyes shifted from him to the blonde, who'd appeared just as shocked. "Y-you…you don't believe her do you?"

"There's only one way to find out, I'm afraid." Killian told her, looking back to Emma. He took a tentative step towards her, lifting her chin ever so slightly.

"Tell me-why should I believe all this." He demanded softly.

"You once told me I was your happy ending. Now, I need you to believe in that, more than ever." Emma whispered. "Because I believe in _us_."

Killian cautiously closed the distance between them, sealing their lips together in a tentative kiss.

An aura blasted through the air, and Emma could feel the magic surround them. Killian felt the flashes of memories come flooding back though his mind, taken from the river. His hands pulled her tighter, their kiss becoming more passionate.

When they broke apart, Emma gazed into his eyes. "Hook?"

"Aye, love. You found me." Hook answered back affectionately. Emma smiled, kissing him again and again. They embraced tightly, as Hook spun her around.

As he set her down, Killian turned to his crew. "Release them!" He demanded.

The pirates began to untie them. The family came racing to Killian, Henry giving him a huge hug.

"What are you all doing here?" Hook asked in mock exasperation. "You're depriving me from a heroic death!"

Robin Smirked. "Too late for that mate."

"It appears the crocodile is the Dark One again." Regina informed him.

Hook turned to Emma. "But how is that possible? I thought you destroyed the darkness when I died."

"Well…." Emma tried to explain but not finding the words. How do you tell the man you love, that he died for nothing?

"Gold found a loophole." David broke it to him bluntly. "He used a potion to channel the energy back into a dagger."

"So Emma came up with the brilliant idea to come to the underworld and steal back your soul." Snow chimed in.

Hook touched Emma's cheek with his knuckles. "You came all the way to the Underworld, to avenge me?"

"Yes." Emma confirmed. "You told me you were a survivor, well so am I."

"Aye, but I don't think even you can cheat death, Swan." Hook told her quietly.

"Watch me." Emma smirked. Hook chuckled. "I do love it when you're determined."

"What the hell is going on?" Milah's voice rang out.

Killian and Emma's smiles faltered as they all turned to her. She appeared hurt, and confused and infuriated. Not that anyone could blame her. Nothing made sense anymore.

* * *

Killian gripped Emma's hand. "There's no sense of time here. So in her eyes…"

"You just broke her heart." Emma concluded. "We'll give you a minute."

Everyone started to leave, but Killian held onto Emma's hand. "You know…"

"Yeah." Emma nodded. "But it still hurts like hell."

"Aye, it does." He agreed. He gave her hand one more squeeze before walking over to Milah.

"Milah..." Killian introduced for a lack of a better explanation. "What they said is all true."

"She has you under some spell!" Milah protested. She refused to believe that her pirate was fawning over this woman and her lies.

Hook closed his eyes and sighed. "You've been dead for over three hundred years."

"Lies!" She shouted. " _Fight_ it Killian."

"I tried." Killian confessed. "I was fighting that feeling all this time. The part of me that knew something was missing. I thought I would find it here, with you…but it's not. Not anymore."

Grabbing his hand, she clutched it to her heart. "Why are you doing this Killian? Whatever this is, we can beat it. Together, remember? Don't you love me?"

"I did!" Killian admitted. "I spent centuries chasing a ghost!"

"I never meant anything to you!" Milah retorted, breaking their hold as tears fell down her face.

A silence stretched between them. Killian grabbed her hands again.

"Who is she?" She whispered touching his cheek. "Why is she here? You're dead. We belong together."

Killian couldn't give her an easy answer, because she had a point. He was dead. Eternally, he belonged here, among the souls of the Underworld. He had come back to her, but his heart wasn't in it. The sea was no longer his home. Emma was.

"Stay with me Killian. I love you." Milah pleaded.

Killian squeezed his eyes shut, before telling her. "Sorry love. I can't."

Milah took a step back. "So that's it then? Just condemn me to Hell?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"My job is to protect the treasure from souls trying to leave the underworld. That's why the Dutchman never makes port."

"To guard the doubloons." Killian concluded.

"If I let them leave with it, Hades will know and condemn me to Hell." Milah explained. "Do you hate me that much?"

Killian stared back into blue eyes, seeing the pain in them. "Not at all, luv."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Another chapter done. So Milah is back and Killian has some decisions to make. What will he do? And we'll also be revisiting Mr. Gold as he faces off with none other than…Peter Pan.**_

 _ **Please Review, Follow, Favorite-me!**_

 _ **-R.**_


	4. Repercussions

_**A/N: Many thanks to all the follows/favorites and reviews. I appreciate it. So, I hope the story isn't boring you to death. I'm excited for chapters IV and V. Because that's when the real fun starts.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.**_

 _ **Chapter IV: Repercussions**_

* * *

"What do you mean, we can't take the gold!" Regina demanded to know.

"We need it to get home!" Snow included.

"Hades will punish her once he finds out that the gold his missing." Hook expressed the dilemma. "She already suffered once because of my arrogance."

"But she's already dead." Robin reminded them. "What else can happen to her?"

"There are a lot worse fates than death mate, I assure you." Hook explained. "I won't let her suffer in hell, for me too."

"He's going to torture her." David assumed.

"Aye." Hook said. He faced Emma, taking her hand. "You know I told your father once, that I'd follow you to the end of the world or time... but I can't let Milah…"

"Fine." Emma sighed, seeing the inner turmoil his guilt was plaguing him. "Then we bring her with us."

"WHAT?!" The family all cried in unison.

Emma glanced around at her family and lifted a shoulder. "In for a penny, in for a pound."

"I'll go talk to her." Hook said, backing out of the huddle, heading to Milah.

Henry glanced back at Milah, who was watching them from a distance, with daggers in her eyes for Emma. Hook was there, trying to explain what was going on, but it didn't seem to be helping matters.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Gold told us that the dead were unpredictable, remember?"

"What other choice do we have?" Emma asked him sadly.

"Leave her ass here!" Regina stated the obvious.

"No. She comes too." She grabbed her sword, placed it back its sheath and walked towards the helm of the boat, leaving no room for objection.

Regina started after her, but Snow shook her head, and made her way towards the rest of the group.

* * *

 _ **In Storybrooke/Underworld….**_

Gold entered the pawn shop cautiously, to see things weren't any better than Regina's house. There were many items raggedy, or worthless, tarnished with fire and glass.

But what broke his heart, was seeing the china teacup, that was once chipped, shattered into pieces behind the glass counter, on display.

"Damn." He uttered, knowing its significance. Unlike his living associates, he knew that symbolism in the underworld was insight into the future.

Something was yet again, threatening his love with Belle. And this time, his heart was strong enough to summon enough dark magic to defeat it.

"Well look who it is." A voice caught his attention.

Gold's eyes snapped to the main counter, where his father stood, in an all-black suit, a condescending smile, and an all too entitled disposition.

"Peter Pan…" He growled. He had a feeling something was out of sorts, and now he knew why.

Pan raised a brow, waving his hands, in a grand gesture. "Like what I've done with the place?"

"You have some nerve…" Gold told him, as he approached the cash register. "I should send you to hell, right now."

Pan rolled his eyes, adjusting the cuff links on his suit. "You and I both know that your dark magic has limits here, so let's skip the empty threats, shall we?"

"Limited my power may be," Gold smirked, "it's still more than yours; see as how your dead and all."

He laughed. "Ah, you have the upper hand for once Rumple. The only problem is, you'd have to be pretty fast to use it."

And with that, he vanished. Gold spun around, his eyes alert. Pan then reappeared behind him.

"Still haven't learned, have you boyle? Follow the lady." He taunted, with a wave of his hand, sending Gold flying into the front door.

Gold clutched his chest, ignoring the searing pain in his body. "How?" he coughed. "The dead…don't have magic."

Pan sighed. "You truly are ignorant, aren't you? It's not _my_ magic, it's yours. I'm merely harnessing it and projecting it back."

Gold stood. "Impossible!" He refused to be bullied by a ghost.

"Is it so hard to believe, given your current position?" Pan asked in mock curiosity. "We are connected, sonny. As long as your hate for me fuels your power, I can use it against you."

"Like hell!" Gold's determined snarl was loud as he tried to deflect Pan's words. He threw his hand up, flicking his wrist to deliver a blast that would send the most powerful demon crumbling.

"So in essence, it's like you're fighting…well, yourself." Pan reasoned. He did an imitation Gold's hand gesture, sending gold flying into the ceiling, and slamming back down onto the concrete floor.

Gold recoiled, wheezing and coughing up blood.

Pan squatted, whistling low in disappointment. He sighed out of boredom. "Give it up Rumple, you'll never defeat me."

"Says the one who is dead." Gold spat. "And last time I checked? I was the one who killed you. It doesn't get any more _defeated_ than that."

"Oh you may have killed me." Pan agreed, "But for all your power, _Dark One_ , you still don't know how to wield it."

He stood, and began walking away. "And that alone, is the reason you'll never win."

"Watch me!" Gold threatened.

"I have!" Pan exasperated, watching in disgust as Rumple tried to stand. "You are truly worthless."

Pan disappeared as unceremoniously as he appeared, leaving Gold hunched on the floor, in front door of his own damn shop.

"I'll prove you wrong." Gold vowed. "I'll prove them all wrong."

* * *

 _ **The Flying Dutchman…**_

The ship coasted slowly, a few miles off the main harbor of Storybrooke. Hook had advised it would be a lot safer than going back the way they came.

"This is our stop luv." Killian told Emma, taking her by the hand. Emma eyed the dark forest wearily.

"Are you sure? It didn't look this condemning before." She replied, searching for any signs of intruders.

"Aye." Killian confirmed. "There's more than one way out of the Underworld, but this I'm afraid, is the fastest."

David joined the two, looking out at the darkness. "Can you get us there?"

"Not me." Killian replied, nodding to Milah. "But she can."

"You could have let her kill me…" Emma thought aloud, watching the Milah sharpen her sword. "How did you know I was telling the truth?"

There wasn't an easy answer. He had loved Milah, and trusted her completely. Up until an hour ago, Emma hadn't even existed.

"I didn't know." Killian confessed after a moment. "I believed."

"You think we can trust her?" David asked when Killian walked off to prepare supplies.

"If Killian trusts her, so do we." Emma answered. David sent her a questioning brow.

"It'll be fine dad." She assured him with a hand to his arm. David covered it with his own. "I'm proud of you."

Emma nodded, hiding her girlish blush. Snow interrupted their tender moment with a smile. "So, what's the plan?"

"Milah's going to lead us through the dark forest." He announced.

"Do you think that's a good idea?" Snow frowned.

"Emma trusts Killian, Killian trusts her, and we trust Emma." David smirked. "So yeah, it's a good idea."

"Alright." Snow laughed a bit. Their family was suddenly bursting at the seems with hope, and she couldn't be happier

* * *

"It's time!" Milah called out.

Everyone gathered around the side of the ship, staring down into the black abyss of the sea and the heavy fog that hovered in the distance.

Regina tried to summon her magic again, but nothing happened. "The hell…?" She muttered, and tried again.

"It's a dead zone." Milah explained to Killian. "The dark forest is protected by Hades himself."

Snow asked, "So, exactly how do we get off the ship?".

"The same way you snuck on it." Milah retorted with a frown. She rolled her eyes when Hook sent her a chiding stare.

"If he's protecting it, then it's magic." Regina told them. Robin studied the forest. "Maybe that's the answer. We need to mimic his power."

"Robin, you're a genius!" Henry applauded. Regina smiled. "He sure is."

"I've been studying." Robin shrugged. "You have a lot of books at your house."

"Okay, so does anyone know what powers Hades has?" Snow asked, looking at Hook.

Hook rolled his eyes. "I've been dead for a day!" He turned to Milah, who shook her head. "I make it a point not to cross paths with him."

"Henry?" Emma asked, turning to her son.

Henry thought for a moment. "He can control the dead…"

"Not helpful." Milah grumbled at the apparent fact.

"He has invisibility!" He offered, mentally kicking himself for not remembering more.

"Perfect!" Regina replied, summoning her magic. "Henry, you're our hero." Glancing at Emma, she said, "You got it?"

Emma focused on the forest. "Got it."

They raised their arms, concentrating on the force they were trying to summon. Everyone felt a small tingle through the bodies as they dissolved into mist. The light fog carried them from the ship to the shores of the forest.

When they all reappeared, Milah coughed. "What the hell was that?"

"That my dear," Regina spoke regally, "Is how you play God."

"By turning us into water?" Milah snorted, unimpressed.

"By bending unattainable power to your will." Regina spat. "Now lead us out of here."

Milah grabbed her sword and made her way to the front of the group, heading into the woods. Everyone stared at its entrance, hesitant to take the first step.

"Well luv, it's not going to walk itself." Killian quietly encouraged. "Shall we?" He took out his sword and followed behind Milah.

* * *

They had been walking for some time now, and against Snow and Charming's wishes, Regina couldn't help but say something. This was wrong and they all knew it. One soul was bad enough, but no way was any of them getting out of this alive with two.

"You told me to tell you when you're being stupid." Regina started as she fell in step with Emma.

Emma rolled her eyes, tiredly. "I know, but he won't leave her here to suffer, and I'm NOT leaving him."

"She doesn't belong in our world Emma." Regina protested quietly. "I thought you would have learned this lesson by now."

"And we are breaking the very laws of nature by being here, stealing from the Hades to take a soul back." She retorted.

"We are all here for _you_." Regina told her. "Because we believe in _you!_ You're a leader, and leaders have to make tough decisions."

"It's not my decision to make." She shook her head stubbornly.

"Of course it is! Hook is dead. However wrong his death, those are the facts. Think about the price we all will already pay for taking him Emma. Hook shares your heart-who will share hers?"

With that, Regina went to catch up to Henry, leaving Emma alone with her thoughts.

* * *

"We'll rest here." Milah announced as they came into a small clearing. "Although it doesn't affect the dead, the cold can slow you mortals down."

"We're fine." Snow objected, but Emma smiled. "Mom, you've been shivering for the past ten minutes. A little rest won't hurt anyone."

David agreed. "Come on. Robin, Henry, and I will start a fire, you ladies rest."

"I'll get the firewood." Milah told them. "Hades has many traps to help collect more souls." She walked off without waiting for their objections.

"I'll go with her." Hook sighed. "She may be a ghost, but I still bristle at the idea of her being alone."

"No, you stay with Emma." Regina instructed him. "If there are problems, we can't have both of you vanished. Robin, Henry and I will go." She summoned her fire and lit a few branches.

"Thanks your majesty." Hook smiled. He knew she was trying to give him and Emma some alone time.

"Don't thank me until you're alive." Regina snorted, and followed in behind Henry and Robin.

* * *

"You all should get some rest." Killian advised her parents. "Ghosts don't need to sleep, so I'll keep first watch."

David nodded, finally able to close his eyes and lean against the tree. Snow was already asleep against his chest.

Emma and Killian just sat, holding each other's hand, like old times. "How does it feel?" She whispered, "To be dead."

"It feels like…nothing." Killian confessed. "I'm still me…but numb. It's like time stops, and everything dulls. I swear I felt numb, before we kissed."

"I know the feeling." She wept. "When you died…I felt my heart break."

"That just means it still works." He reminded her. "And if it can break, it can heal."

His words struck a chord within her. Emma frowned, not being able to get Regina's words out of her head. _Hook shares your heart-who will share hers?_

"I can't…" she confessed.

"Emma? What's wrong luv? What can't you do?" Killian's worried expression made her take a breath.

"I came to the underworld for you, Hook." Emma reminded him. "And I promise I won't stop fighting for us...but I can't fight for what isn't mine."

"What are you saying Swan?" Killian asked.

"Regina's right. I'm already cheating death by taking your soul back. I can't justify two. I can't risk my family, or Storybrooke for my own selfishness."

"So we just give up on Milah?" Hook frowned, his voice slightly rising. "Just leave her here to suffer a million deaths while her soul is ripped apart?!"

"No." She whispered. She stood and began to pace. "I'm saying, maybe we should say goodbye."

Killian felt like he was dying all over again. He stood as well, gripping her hands. "No…Emma, don't do this to me again…"

Emma wiped her stray tears, and sniffed. "I love you Killian. I'm so proud of the man you've become. I wasn't able to let you go because I thought coming here would make things right."

"I just needed to see you again, to say I'm so sorry. It should have been me." She cried.

"NO, love." Killian wrapped his arms around her. "I would give my life for you a hundred times over. There was so much more I wanted for us."

"Me too." Emma confessed. "But happy endings aren't always what we think they will be." Remembering what her mother told her.

"My happy ending will always be you, Swan." Killian declared.

"Well, I won't stand in your way." Milah called out.

* * *

They turned to her standing in the clearing of the woods. Robin Henry and Regina were behind her, holding branches. David and Snow had awakened by Milah's outburst, worried something had gone wrong. And in a way, it had.

Milah came to closer Killian, ignoring Emma completely.

"Milah, I won't leave you here to suffer." Killian objected. "Not for me."

"Don't pretend to care about my suffering. You don't love me anymore, Jones." Milah stated. "I'm beginning to think you never did."

"What." Killian spoke, his tone irritable and dark. Everyone watched as he squared off with his ex-lover.

Robin grabbed his arm, "Easy mate." But Killian snatched it, getting within an inch of her face.

"What did you say to me?" He demanded to know.

"I said you're nothing but a lying pirate." Milah sneered. "And you betray me for a blonde wench with pretty eyes and bigger breasts. Back into your old habits, I see."

"Don't you dare belittle Emma down to another meaningless conquest." He snapped. "She is worth more than you could even begin to comprehend."

"I gave up everything for you Killian!" She cried. "My son, my life…and one kiss from _her_ and now you've forgotten who you pledged your heart to!"

Killian just stared back into this ghost of his former love. She was so hurt, and so lost. "I used to talk to you…" he revealed.

"What?" Milah asked, crossing her arms.

"After you died, I would talk to you." Killian explained sadly. "Ask you questions; make jokes…like you were still around Milah…and then one day, you started answering."

Emma felt tears emerge in her eyes, along with everyone else as they listened to his confession.

"And subconsciously, I knew I was a man drowning myself in rum, having conversations with his dead lover." Killian continued, sliding a hand through his hair. "But I couldn't stop."

Tears began to fall from Milah's face, her frown still permanently expressed in her eyes. But she didn't doubt his words.

"I would drink myself into a rage…vowing revenge on the crocodile. Falling further and further into the darkness." He breathed. "So before you question my love and loyalty, you must know two things."

"What's that?" Milah asked, sadly.

"First, Milah I was so in love with you…it nearly killed me." Killian admitted.

He was finally able to see that all the time he'd spent on revenge, prolonging the inevitable, was for this moment-closure.

"And second," He exhaled, "I don't regret, finally moving on with my life." Turning to Emma, he held out his hand for her to take it. "Let's sail away luv."

Emma smiled, reaching out for him. Until she felt a heavy hand, clutch her heart. "AHHGGHH!" She screamed at the unbearable pain, crippling her to her knees.

"SWAN!" Killian ran to her side, but was knocked back by a powerful force.

"Emma!" Snow shouted, trying to hold on to her daughter, but it was no use. The force was too strong.

"Noo!" David shouted as Emma's body began to sink into the ground, trying like hell to hold on to her.

"What's going on?!" Regina shouted to Milah. "What the hell is happening to her?!"

"It's Hades!" Milah hollered back in fear. "He's found us!"

Robin grabbed a hold of Regina and Henry as the winds blew harder, the light of the fire being extinguished.

Killian could only watch in agony as his love was once again, sucked into a vortex of darkness. After a bright blast of blue light, she was gone.

* * *

 _ **A/n: I hope I did Killian's love for Milah some justice. I stole that scene from Alias because I thought it was just so sad. Next chapter we'll find out where Emma has gone, where Gold is, and we get to meet none other than Hades himself.**_

 _ **Review/Follow/Favorite-me!**_

 _ **-R.**_


	5. Dealings in Death

_**A/n:**_ _ **To those who review/follow/favorite, Thank you so much for the support! I'm not deterred by the low review numbers, because I have Over 2000+ views! I am so happy. Enjoy the chapter. I hope it doesn't disappoint.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time.**_

 _ **Acknowledgements**_ _ **: Dear Rukia's Reflection- Thank you so much! I think that's the nicest compliment I've ever received. I love the show, and although I am nowhere near as creative as the writers, I do try. Again, thank you.**_

 _ **Apologies for any mistakes wherein.**_

 _ **Chapter V: Dealings in Death.**_

* * *

"Shit!" Regina cursed. She knew this was going to happen. Things were just going too smoothly for them to think there weren't going to be consequences. "Now we're on a rescue mission!"

"No, we're not." Killian countered. "I am."

"Hold on a second." Robin protested. "We came here on a mission to get you out. You can't just go face-off with Hades alone."

"Robin's right." David agreed. "Our best chance of getting Emma back is together."

"Maybe I'm not making myself clear!" Killian raised his voice. "You ARE leaving. This little reunion is over. I'm going to get Emma, and get you all the hell out of here before Hades kills you!"

"Killian, you don't have to do this alone." Snow said with a comforting hand to his shoulder. "We're a team."

"I appreciate the your efforts, truly. I've never been so fortunate to be the recipient of such selflessness." He lamented lowering his tone. His frustration and fear wasn't helping the situation. "This is my fight your highness."

"Wrong." Snow shook her head. "It's our fight. And we _will_ fight for you."

Killian confessed quietly. "But this is _my_ unfinished business. It has to be me, alone." Turning to Milah, he instructed. "Get them to the Charon."

Milah nodded solemnly. She watched Hook's handsomely stressed features as he walked further into the darkness, out of sight.

He was so different from man she used to know. Somehow that made her even more furious. They had missed their chance! They had just discovered their love, and her ex-husband took it away! She had unfinished business in the Underworld and finally knew what it was… _Killian._

"Well," She sighed turning to the group. "You heard the Captain."

"You can't be serious!" Regina exclaimed. "We're going after them!"

"No, you're not." Milah replied with a growl. "Obviously you're used to breaking the rules, but I follow orders."

"But my mom is in danger!" Henry stressed. "We _have_ to go after her."

"If your mother is worth that pedestal Killian has put her on," Milah spat, "then maybe she'll survive."

Snow squinted her eyes in realization. "You're jealous!"

"Of your daughter?" Milah scoffed. "Hardly."

"Of Killian." Snow corrected. When Milah rolled her eyes, Snow frowned.

"You're jealous of the fact that he'd rather fight like hell to be with Emma, than spend an eternity with you!" She observed. "Or maybe it's because he didn't come to the Underworld to save you-instead he moved on."

"You know nothing!" Milah shouted.

"I know darkness looks like." Snow revealed. "heartache, bitterness, and betrayal…the makings of a villain."

"Whatever you know or think is irrelevant." Milah brushed off the assumptions that hit too close to home. "Killian is going to send all of you back where you belong, and then we will be together again."

"Don't count on it." Regina threatened. "If you're not going to help us, then I think it's time you left." With a wave of her hand, Milah fazed away.

"Where did you send her?" David asked.

"Back to the Dutchman and with any luck, Hell." She answered. "Now, let's get find Emma."

* * *

Emma's lungs were on fire as she gasped for breath. She felt her heart race, and her cheeks flush as she wheezed, trying to get girt and debris from her throat.

" _Un-believable!"_ A deep voice called out from the shadows. She watched as the seven foot figure in death blue skin waltzed around her conversing casually.

"I mean, I hadn't gotten that _choked up_ since I had a hunk of moussaka caught in my throat!" He joked.

"Seriously?!" Emma breathed.

"I know right?" He chuckled. "Can believe that load of crap? Captain Hooky is real playa, playa from the Himalayas!"

"Who are you?!" Emma snapped, losing her patience.

"Oh, where _are_ my manners." He feigned incompetence. "Name's Hades, Lord of the Dead, howya doin'."

* * *

"Since we don't have a guide, I'll have to teleport us back to the first place we landed." Regina told them all.

"It might slow us down, but it's better than nothing." Robin assured.

"Whatever you have to do, do it fast." David expressed wearily.

Without so much another thought, Regina summoned her magic, transporting them all back to the Storybrooke graveyard.

What they witnessed was Gold sitting at his son's grave, leaning his head against the tombstone, appearing battered and bruised. He sensed their presence, but didn't open his eyes.

"You look like you could use a Band-Aid." Robin remarked dryly.

"A hard lesson, I recently took to heart." Gold grumbled. At seeing the group, he chuckled. "I take it; things didn't quite go according to plan." He assessed.

"We found Hook, but now the savior needs saving." Regina explained as Gold stood.

"If Hades has Emma, we can be of no help to her." He said.

"You don't know that!" Snow protested with a glare.

"Actually, I do." He insisted. "Do you really think, that Emma is the first person to chase their lover to the Underworld?" he asked the pathetically naïve group.

"We have faced many challenges and overcome them." David stated confidently.

Gold eyed him as if he'd sprouted two heads. "This isn't the enchanted forest, or some quest into Camelot! This is the Underworld. A place where we clearly don't belong, so I suggest we go while we can."

"We can't just leave!" Regina defied. "I don't care what those pirating ghosts say."

"I'd heed their words, your majesty." Gold advised. "This is Emma's unfinished business, and only _she_ can end it."

"But Hades can't kill her in the Underworld. It's the rules." Henry explained to them.

"Yes. She has to challenge him first." Gold confirmed. "That's the only way he holds power over her soul."

"Well good, there's still time to save her." Robin suggested. "Maybe she won't challenge him."

"I know their daughter all too well." Gold retorted. "She's headstrong, and she _will_ fight him."

"What happens if she wins?" David demanded to know.

"She _won't."_ Gold stressed. "If Emma challenges Hades, she WILL die."

"But she has magic!" Henry spoke up. "Dark _and_ Light."

"It's not enough." Gold rebutted. He then scoffed gravely. "That sonofabitch…"

"I'm failing to see the humor in this, Rumple." Regina snapped.

"When I battled Pan, he warned me about this." Gold clarified. "I didn't realize it then, but the bastard was trying to help me."

"What did he say?" David asked.

"He said the dead didn't have power," He recalled. "They just harnessed it from the source and projected it back."

Regina closed her eyes in realization. "Shit."

"What is it?" Robin asked.

"Gold's right. She can't win." She told them sadly. "You can't protect yourself against…yourself."

"And that's who she'll be fighting." Henry finished. "He'll use her power against her."

"So Hades is going to trick her into committing suicide?" Robin exclaimed. "That's sick!"

Snow turned to her husband frantically, "David, we have to stop her!"

"I know, but how?! We don't even know where Hades is!" David replied, feeling helpless.

" _He_ does." Regina said, causing everyone to face Gold.

Gold held up a hand. "I'm not stupid enough to go looking for trouble again. I'm leaving this world, NOW. Either you come with me, or you get left behind." He took out his dagger and sliced his hand.

Everyone waited, watching for any signs of the Charon. Nothing happened.

"I don't understand…" Gold replied as he stared back at his hand. "Why didn't I vanish?"

Regina smirked, arching a brow. "Looks like Hades revoked your get-out-of-jail-free card."

"Now, if you're done being an emotionally distressed teenager," Snow called out to him. "Maybe we can go save my daughter?"

* * *

Emma's eyes widened as he stepped closer to her, his hair consisting of a blue flames and matching his demonic eyes. "Hades…"

"Forgive me for dragging you away from a tender moment, but I just couldn't stand to here that Yutz spew his heart out anymore." Hades rambled on.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I know you're a very busy woman, so I just have one incey wincey question; YOU THINK YOU CAN STEAL FROM ME?!" Hades thundered.

The ground shook beneath her feet, and fire erupted from the many volcanic openings surrounding her, but Emma didn't back down.

"Hook is mine, and I will NOT being handing over his soul." She threatened.

"Oh, you think you have a choice." Hades spoke with a cynical laugh. "He died by your own hands Savior."

"It had to be done!" Emma defended, standing up from the cold ground.

"If you didn't want him dead, you shouldn't have killed him!" Hades justified.

"You know damn well why she did!" Hook hollered from the entrance.

Hades rolled his eyes at the intrusion. "Killy my boy! How _lovely_ of you to join us!"

"Let her go." Killian demanded. He approached quickly, helping Emma to her feet. "She was just trying to-"

"Another naïve attempt to rid of the darkness." Hades interrupted sigh. "Newsflash! It ain't gonna happen."

"Like hell it isn't." Emma mumbled, summoning her magic.

"No!" Hook yelped, stepping in front of her to put more distance between them and Hades. He knew few things about the Underworld, but he did know that Hades was immortal, and Emma was not.

"You can't kill him luv, and even if you could, it's not worth it." He advised quietly, pulling her closer to him.

"If it brings you back to me, it's always worth it." She whispered fiercely.

Hook touched his forehead to hers. "I love you Swan, but you were right. Maybe it's time-"

"Don't you say it!" She cut him off, not willing to accept defeat. "I _can_ beat him."

"Not like this." Killian said.

"Watch me." Emma gritted. She summoned her magic again.

* * *

"Emma, wait!" Snow cried out. "Don't fight him!"

They turned to see the others flying towards them.

Emma couldn't believe all the distrust being thrown her way. "Really? You too?!"

"Mom, it's a trap!" Henry panted. "Hades wants to trick you in killing yourself. It's the only way he can ensure your soul never leaves the Underworld."

Emma turned to Hades, who pointed an innocent finger at himself. " _Me?_ I would never." He admonished the lie.

"What the bloody hell happened?" Killian asked. "You were supposed to leave."

"We had to make sure you two were safe." David told Emma.

"And leaving is kind of a problem now." Robin told Killian. "Gold's blood didn't call for the Charon."

Gold emerged, heading straight for Hades. He stopped within a mere inch. "As long as he controls the Underworld, we aren't allowed to leave without permission."

"Nice to see you again too, Rumple." Hades greeted with a raised brow. I told you it would be soon."

"Well I'm not dead yet." Rumple growled through clenched teeth. Hades shrugged. "That doesn't mean I can't delay you, for all eternity."

Hades' leer was all the confirmation they needed. If they didn't do something fast, they were all going to remain here.

"You like making deals." Emma remembered. "Let's make one now."

"Emma, NO." Regina objected. "Making a deal with Hades is even more reckless than making one with Gold."

Gold cut her a glare, but didn't comment on it. Instead, he persisted "Time is running out."

"Indeed it is!" Hades nodded towards the moon. "Sunrise will be here before you know it. So kiss, hug, and let's get on with it."

"Emma, there has to be another way." Regina pleaded.

"We don't have a choice." Emma said. She turned to Gold who merely nodded. "I'll make sure they get home safe."

Hook came to her side. "Are you sure about this love?"

"Absolutely." She breathed.

"How benevolent you are." Hades complimented.

"If I make a deal, it's not just for Killian." Emma spat, glaring at Hades. "It goes for my family too."

Hades rolled his eyes. "I can't believe this. I offer a pinky, and you take the arm."

"So do we have a deal, or not?" Emma breathed.

"That depends, Savior." Hades shrugged. "All things come with a price, even love. Can you afford it?"

"Can you really bring him back?" Emma retorted.

Hades circled her like a vulture as he explained. "When a person dies in the living world, a body turns to ash, and all their good and bad deeds are erased. That is the only way, he can return to the living world."

"His half of the heart will have a clean slate. Just like Gold's." Emma nodded, trying to remember what the Apprentice said.

"Yes," Hades conceded, "with one caveat."

"Which is?" Snow asked.

"He will cease to know the life he had before." Hades expounded lightly. "It will be as if Killian Jones, deadliest pirate of the seven seas, never existed."

"WHAT." Killian frowned.

"But when Rumplestilzskin died, his memories didn't fade with him." Robin reminded them. "How is this any different?"

"Well, Rumple never actually _died_ , did he?" Hades revealed with an eyeroll.

"Of course he did!" David shouted. "When he defeated Pan! We all saw it."

"He also was resurrected through dark magic and Neal took his place." Regina reminded them. "no rules were broken."

"But he died again when his heart went dark!" Snow recalled. Emma shook her head. "No, he didn't, we preserved his body…. and I took the darkness from his heart."

Smirking at Gold, Hades chuckled, "Other than Hooky over here, Rumple's the only one that's ever evaded death."

"So my only choices are losing him, or losing him?!" Emma asked, a bit distressed.

"What can I tell ya?" Hades lifted a shoulder . "That's the price you pay, for trying to _steal from me_." His last words held an edge of venom. "So do we have a deal?"

* * *

"That's not a deal, it's a double-edged sword." Hook yelled.

Hades taunted. "But isn't she the love of your life, isn't she more important than some ghostly existence with some nagging broad-"

"Stop!" Hook tried to interject, but Hades continued, turning to Emma. "Isn't he worth it Savior? Having him alive and unknown is better than not having him at all, right?!"

"Swan, no." Hook took her hand. "I'd rather die."

"Too late." Hades flippantly chimed in.

Emma shook her head, ignoring Killian's plea. "I can't leave here without you."

"Look, I really don't have time to bat this around!" Hades interrupted with vexation. "I got a business to run, clients to see, a meeting with the furies, countless judgments to witness, Cerberus needs to be fed, and I need an answer, like NOW!"

Emma shouted to the God. "At least let me say goodbye!"

Hades couldn't fight his annoyed groan, but he waved his hand for her to continue.

"Emma, think about what you're doing." Regina begged her, praying she would be level-headed for once.

"It was my decision to drag us down here. I will not let our family pay the price for it." Emma vowed. "Take care of my parents, and Henry. Be the savior."

Regina felt tears sting her eyes. "You really think I have what it takes?"

Emma smirked. "I _know_ you do." She hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry, Emma. For everything." Regina whispered.

Henry came forward, pulling her into a death grip hug. "I love you." Was all he could muster through his tears.

"And I love you, Kid. You are truly my happy ending." She whispered. Henry sniffed. "This doesn't feel like much of a happy ending. It feels like goodbye."

Emma lifted his chin. "Henry, I want you to remember something. Have courage, and be kind. Because where there is kindness, there is goodness, and where there is goodness…."

"There is magic." Henry finished. "I promise. I'll be a hero, I'll make you proud."

After a moment, they parted, only for Emma to be embraced by her parents.

"We're proud of you." David mumbled into her hair. Snow gave her a motherly kiss on the forehead. "Don't give up hope Emma. We will _all_ find each other."

"I'm won't. I love you all, but this is the only way." Emma told everyone. "Now Go."

Robin took Regina's hand, giving Hook a brotherly hug. David guided Snow, Henry and the rest of the group away from Hades.

Gold glanced back at Emma. "You don't have to do this. I know you don't like to lose, but you're playing with powers beyond our control."

"I'm risking my life for you Dark one. Now's not the time for a lecture." Emma smiled sadly. "Make good on our deal, and get them home."

Gold raised his hand, transporting the group back to the beach.

Emma just stared at the blank space where they once stood, praying for their safe return. She didn't trust Gold, but she had faith she would find them. They always found each other.

"How sentimental." Hades cooed. Emma glared, feeling the urge to punch the shit out of him.

Killian touched her waist. "Don't do it luv. He's just trying to get a rise out of you."

"This offer is only going to last 3 more seconds." Hades cut in. He held up a finger. "Going once, going TWICE…!"

"Deal!" Emma took his hand and shook it. The ground beneath them started to shake.

Emma clutched her heart as she felt it being ripped from her chest. She saw her family disappear as the winds got stronger, and a blue aura surrounded them.

"Emma!" Hook's shouts could be heard as he held her in his grasp.

"I love you." Emma whispered. "I _will_ find you, again."

"Don't count on it!" Hades shouted over the wind. Then, there are was nothing. Only darkness.

* * *

When she finally came to, Emma was disoriented. She stood up from the ground, frantically searching the barely lit cave. Hades wasn't anywhere around, and neither was Killian.

"Oh no…" She whispered, trying to discern if she were alive or still in the Underworld.

"Emma?!" Snow's voice called. Emma ran towards the freight elevator in time to see Snow lifting up the gate.

They embraced, sighs of relief and shock, filling tunnels. "Mom, is it…you?"

Snow nodded. "Yes! Come, everyone has been so worried. I was on my way home when I felt the ground shake."

They made it out of the library and onto the street, where Regina and David were running towards them. David engulfed her in a fatherly hug, tears flowing down his face. "We felt the earthquake and came running. Are you alright?"

Emma nodded. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" Regina smirked. "Welcome back. You've been gone for at least a month."

"Seriously?" Emma asked, and then she thought about the deal she made with Hades. "Where's Hook?"

David, Snow and Regina all exchanged pained glance. David finally spoke "That's the thing…we don't know."

* * *

 _ **A/n: Thanks again for the support! Next chapter should be interesting. I apologize for the insanely long chapters! It just irritates me to read a story that has 100,000,000 short chapters, rather than just 6 long ones. My goal is to tie up this story in 10 chapters. But we're already on chapter five and not even half way through! Maybe I can push it to 12. One of those lines I used was from Cinderella (2105) because I loved that movie.**_

 _ **Review/Favorite/Follow-me!**_

 _ **-R.**_


	6. Oh Captain, My Captain

_**A/n: Thanks for all your support and encouragement! I'm sorry this chapter took a while. I had some rewriting to do. Forgive me. The next chapters will be back on schedule with an update every 2 or 3 days max.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.**_

 **Apologies for any errors.**

 **Chapter VI:** _ **Oh Captain, My Captain…**_

* * *

" _What did you do with him?!"_ Emma demanded to know. Despite Regina and her parents' efforts, she refused to believe that Gold had nothing to do with Killian's disappearing.

"It's not what I did, Ms. Swan." Gold defended with a slight frown. "It's what _you did_. You're the one that made the deal, and now, it looks like you've paid the price."

Emma thought about what Hades said. _'Don't count on it.'_ "He took him!"

"I told you," He sighed. "You were messing with powers beyond your control."

Just then, the shop door opened to reveal Regina and Henry. Gold rolled his eyes. "Here we go." He muttered.

Emma rushed to him, locking her son in a death grip. "Hey kid." She breathed, kissing his temple.

"Mom!" Henry laughed, happy to see her again.

"You people come in here, and _demand help_ , without purchasing a damn thing." Gold expressed his annoyance.

"We tried to tell her you were a dead end." Regina glared. "Not that anyone can blame her, given your recent betrayal."

"And yet, you've decided to come here for answers." Gold retorted.

"I need to find Killian." Emma insisted. "There has to be a way to track him. A locator spell, a damn snow globe, _something_."

Gold thought for a moment, seeing the ring, that was dangling from her neck. "Your parents found each other with an enchanted ring. I suppose I could do the same for you."

"What's the price?" Regina asked, raising a skeptical brow.

"That none of you come to me for help again." Gold gritted.

Emma smirked. "Deal."

"Just like that?" He asked with a scoff.

"I have a feeling, soon it will be you begging for my help." Emma replied simply.

"Not likely." Gold frowned. "Now may I have the necklace?"

Emma clutched it for a moment. Henry put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay mom."

She nodded, finally taking it off her neck, handing it to Gold.

He turned, grabbing a small vial of liquid, pouring it over the ring. The ruby glowed a soft red, before it dimmed back to normal.

"Now it's up to you, to guide it." Gold instructed, handing it to him.

"What? No, It's supposed to guide me!" Emma objected.

"Yes, when two people are in the same realm." Gold answered. "But seeing as how he isn't, it's up to you to figure out where to start."

"You bastard!" Regina spat. "You knew he wasn't here in Storybrooke! You could've told us when we asked you!"

"You asked me did I have him." Gold reiterated. "Not, if I knew where to find him."

"Loopholes." Emma muttered, wanting to shove his dagger right in his throat.

"Now if there is nothing else," He announced, "Please, LEAVE."

Emma felt her anger grow, but Regina stopped her. "Let's go. It's not worth it."

"Come on, mom." Henry agreed. "We'll find another way."

* * *

"Useless!" Emma shrieked as she threw the book off the table.

"Hey!" Regina called out. "These books are old!"

Henry picked up the thrown book, placing it back on the table. "I'm going to get everyone some lunch. Be back in a few."

As the door closed behind him, Emma ran her hands through her hair. "Sorry, it's just…"

"We know." David cut in, handing her a glass of whiskey.

"We'll find him, Emma." Snow encouraged, as she turned the page of one of Merlin's books.

"Will we?" Emma asked in defeat. "It's been two days! Gold gave me a locator spell to find him, but it won't work unless, I find him!"

"Maybe you're looking for the wrong thing." Robin called absently as he sipped his scotch. When he glanced up from his assigned book, everyone's eyes were on him.

"Well," He gulped, "Gold gave you a potion to follow a ring, but it sounds to me like you should just follow your heart."

"As enduring as that notion is, Hook's not to just show up in the Storybrooke lost and found box." Emma remarked cynically.

"That's it! Robin's right, right we should be following your heart." Regina smiled brightly at Robin. "You really do surprise me."

Robin smiled, before returning his attention back to his drink.

"How is following her heart supposed to help?" David asked.

"Because Hook has the other half of it." Regina reminded them. "We can put a locator spell on your heart, to search for its other half."

She rummaged through one of her mother's books, pulling up the page. Snow read it closely. "LOST AND FOUND. Seriously?"

"How exactly does it work?" Robin asked.

"We have to first pull out Emma's heart." Regina said with a wince. "Then we have to connect it with Killian's body. His hair, blood, …"

"Things we don't have." Snow sighed.

Emma shook her head. "Not exactly." She waved her hand, and a glass jar appeared with an appendage inside.

"Is that…?" Robin mumbled coming to the counter. Emma nodded. "Yeah. It's Killian's."

"Are you sure?" Snow studied the hand as if it were a 7th grade science experiment.

"Killian told me that it's Gold's most prized possession. Next to his chipped teacup." Emma rolled her eyes at the reminder of how delusional Belle was. Usually with spell books, she was a much needed resource. But there was no way to include Belle without dropping the dime on Gold.

"You know he's going to know its missing." Regina warned her. Emma met her gaze with an unwavering stare. "I don't care. He said don't ask for his help, so I'm not."

"Well then," Regina lifted a shoulder. "Let's begin."

* * *

After about an hour in Regina's vault, the spell was ready. She held Emma's heart in one hand, and the potion in the other.

"Do you have the memory potion?" she asked. Emma patted the side of her jacket. "Yeah, yeah I got it. Let's do this."

"Emma I must warn you." She started, "this potion's purpose is to find random things like shoes and a TV remote. Its power may not be strong enough to survive traveling realms."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take." Emma assured her. Regina didn't say anything else as she poured the liquid over Emma's heart.

It began to pound rapidly, and Emma started to gasp for breath. "Regina!" she gasped.

"I'm sorry, I can't stop it!" Regina explained as the heart continued beat. Emma fell to the floor as she could feel the magic straining to reach beyond its limits.

Then, the pain stopped, and the heart gloved a soft white light, before returning red. "It's done." Regina explained, helping her stand. "You ready?"

Emma nodded, not being able speak, after experiencing what felt like her first heart attack. Regina wasted no time, shoving the organ back into her chest.

Emma fought back a yelp, listening to her heartbeat. "How do I know when it's working?" she asked.

"Uh…" Regina ran over to check the books. "It says it will transport you to where you need to be." She looked up, but Emma was missing. "Emma?"

She walked around the vault before commenting, "Well, that was fast."

* * *

Emma rubbed the side of her head, feeling as if she were being pulled from a million directions at once.

Car horns blared, and a faint smell of sewage lingered in the air, along with pollution and hot dogs.

She stumbled a bit as she stood, not fully conscious of her surroundings. Taking a tentative step, she heard shouting. "Are ya blind lady?!" a cyclist hollered as he whizzed by.

Emma groaned. "I should have known…"

Taking out her cell phone, she dialed Regina. "Yeah, it's me. No, no I'm okay. I'm in New York."

So busy in her conversation, Emma didn't notice the 6 wheeler headed her way. A fog horn blared, causing her to jump, but it the truck was too close.

"Easy!" A familiar voice shouted, pulling her out of harms' way within seconds of her death. The force of the pull caused them both to fall to the ground.

Emma winced in pain as she felt a body atop of her own. Her eyes fluttered open…and she froze.

Killian was staring back at her, with the same insanely sea blue eyes, a cocky grin, and a faint scar long his gorgeous face. "Are you alright?" he panted with a small smile.

"I…" she uttered, not being able to compose a sentence. The ring on her finger glowed brightly.

"Say something luv…" He encouraged with a bit of a lass.

"HEY NORINGTON!" A cop hollered from the distance. "PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD! NOW!"

Killian smirked down at her, winking an eye. "Till next time, darling." And then he was on his feet, running from the cops.

* * *

"Wait!" Emma tried to yell, but it was no use. A police officer stopped next to her as she stood up. "Who was that man?" she asked as he took a break to catch his breath.

"Crime Lord, and a murder suspect." He breathed. "Did he hurt you?"

"No," She shook her head in disbelief. "He just saved my life."

The police officer stared at her as if she'd just declared she was a goat. "Well don't take it to heart. Derek Norington is trouble. Stay away from him." Was the only advice he gave, before chasing after his partner.

Hook's name was Derek? Emma tried to wrap her brain around the new information as she spent most of the day and night, searching for him.

She was an ex-bail bondsman. It should be easy enough. But as it turns out, Hook was a lot more allusive than she first believed. From the whispers on the streets, Derek Norington was a notorious racketeer, con-man, and mobster. He was a pretty bad person to get in business, and his crew was ruthless.

Emma's cell rang. She opened it after two rings, figuring it was better than driving herself in sane, trying to come up with different scenarios to find Killian again.

"Hey kid." She sighed.

 _Mom! Mom told me you were in New York, but the phone cut off._

"I'm okay. I found Killian…or rather, he found me." Emma clarified.

" _He found you?" Snow's voice chimed in. "That's great. Did he recognize you?"_

"No. He saved me from getting hit by a bus. Apparently, the spell isn't very good at landing procedures." She explained, walking in a sea of on-goers. "That was pure coincidence."

" _When dealing with magic, there's no such thing." Regina spoke into the speaker._

"Well, whether it be luck or fate, I'm out of both." Emma reported. "He goes by a new persona. A mob boss called Derek Norington. And I have no idea where to start looking."

"Isn't this your thing?" Regina asked. "Finding people?"

"Yeah, but usually I have longer than a day to do my research." Emma clarified. "And this is the real world. I can't just go asking around for a mob-boss without drawing some really bad attention."

"Well, Killian may have a new name, but he can't erase him completely." Regina said.

"I don't understand." Emma said.

 _"Mom, I did some more research on Hades." Henry told her. "He's manipulating you. He can bring people back from the dead, but he can't create new life."_

 _"He took Killian's body." David revealed. "Since he can't create life, he has to use parts of Killian's old life to bring him back from the dead."_

"Right. Since no one took his place, Killian is still…Killian." Emma murmured. "But when I looked into his eyes, he didn't recognize me."

" _Maybe not." Snow conceded. "But of all the people in New York, it was him that saved you. There's a connection there. You just have to figure out what it is."_

" _And the first step to that is finding Hook." David pressed. "When I awakened under Regina's curse, the first thing I did was go to the troll bridge. Maybe it's the same with Hook."_

 _David's right." Robin finally spoke up. "He may not have his memories, but the habits will manifest themselves in his subconscious. According to this book anyway."_

"Right." Emma finally agreed. "I think I know where to look." She hung up the phone, and headed to the nearest subway station.

* * *

Within 20 minutes, she exited the subway, coming to a old fire station turned into a popular bar for low lives, misfits and illegal gambling.

" _The Treasure Chest."_ Emma read aloud. She eyed the men in front, guarding the door. There was no way she was getting in there that way.

She started to make her way around the back, praying there would be an unguarded door. As luck would have it, there was one door unprotected.

"It's all about the tumblers." She whispered, as she began to work.

A sharp pain suddenly struck her across the head, before she blacked out…

* * *

When she came to, Emma came face to face with… "Milah?" she whispered.

Milah raised a brow, but didn't acknowledge the name. "Sorry honey. Milah can't save you."

Emma glanced around to see she was in some form of warehouse. She'd obviously been searched because her phone and gun were missing. Shit.

"You must be a special kind of stupid to break into this place." Milah laughed.

"She's a cop!" One muscled thug insisted.

"I'm not!" Emma objected.

Milah examined the gun on the table. "It's a Beretta 92."

Emma closed her eyes and cursed. Shit. Her Sherriff's pistol.

"And look at this boys!" Milah held up a small piece of metal. "A Sherriff's badge!" Turning back to Emma, she growled, "Remove her head."

"With pleasure." someone sneered, raising his machete.

"It's a costume!" Emma blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Morgan, WAIT." A voice commanded, as heavy footsteps entered the room.

Emma watched as Killian approached, his vacant and lethal stare, much different from the one he'd had at the strip club. "What did you say?" he asked.

"It's a gotdamn costume." Emma panted. "I know you've have seen me before. I…I work at the Treasure Chest."

Killian studied her for a moment, before sitting his gun on the table. "You, work at the treasure chest."

"Yes," Emma nodded. "the pistol and badge a part of a costume…"

"She's lying." Morgan insisted.

"Maybe she is mate." Killian shook his head. "But she isn't a cop."

"And how would you know?" Milah demanded, putting a hand on her hip. "Another one of your conquests."

"I told you that was all behind me love." Killian assured, giving her a small caress on the cheek. Emma could barely hide the jealousy that boiled under her skin.

"Then how do you know she's lying?" Milah asked, the edge in her voice gone. Now she was practically cooing at his feet.

"Because the term sheriff is only used in storybooks and small towns love." Killian reasoned. "And this is New York. If she were a cop, her badge would say, _"Chief."_

"She's trouble Derek." Milah warned. "I want her gone."

"Consider it done." Killian assured with a soft peck on the lips. She left the warehouse, knowing the tramp wouldn't be there much longer.

Killian smirked at Emma before announcing. "Now, if you lads will excuse me, I think I'll have a little _chat_ with Blondie before I get rid of her."

His men laughed before heading out. Everyone knew what _chat_ Killian wanted to have.

"Shall I prepare the disappearing kit?" Morgan asked, glaring at Emma.

Killian shook his head. "That won't be necessary. We already have enough heat from our last two stints with the law. I'll make sure she doesn't talk."

He watched Morgan walk out of the room, before taking a tight grip on Emma's hair, yanking it back hard. Emma shrieked, but it was cut short as his other hand gripped her throat and squeezed.

"WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?!" He spat lowly.

* * *

 **A/N: So sorry for the wait. The next few chapters will mainly focus on Emma and Killian. I don't think they get enough alone time in the series, and I'm hoping the next chapters will make up for it in some small way.**

 **Review/Favorite/Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


	7. Elastic Heart

**A/n: Thank you so much for all of the support! I really appreciate it! These next few chapters were all inspired by the music playlist I made for this story. It helps me think about the many layers worth exploring for Emma and Killian.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.**

 **Chapter VII: _Elastic Heart_**

 _And another one bites the dust…oh why can I not conquer love? And I might have thought that we were one…wanted to fight this war without weapons.- Sia_

* * *

"WHY ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME?!" He spat lowly.

"I…" She tried to think as her air supply depleted and the searing pain of her hair being pulled caused her to wince. Anger and frustration boiled under her skin, and she was more than pissed at having to resort to explanations rather sucker punch him.

"I frequent the Treasure Chest to know you aren't one of them." Derek growled. "How did you find me?!"

"I had to see you again." She cried hoarsely.

"Not good enough!" Derek demanded. "Why? I'm not going to ask again."

"Because…I need you to remember." Emma confessed, hurtful tears started to spill. Derek snatched his hand back, causing her to drop to the floor.

"Wait…What?" He asked, growing tired of her being cryptic. "Who are you?"

"My name isn't important, trust me." She panted. "What is important is you're in danger."

"My love had a gun to your head not 5 minutes ago." Derek retorted coolly. "And you think _I'm_ the one in danger?"

"Look," Emma reasoned as she stood to her feet. "I know this is all confusing, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't true."

"I think you've hit your head a little harder than I thought, lass." Derek managed, observing her like she had just escaped the Looney bin. "Just because I rescued you from a bus, doesn't mean…"

"This isn't a case of misplaced hero worship." Emma cut him off, seeing the parallels he was drawing. Not that she could blame him. After he'd saved her from that car, she actually _had_ been trying to find him.

"Isn't it?" Derek raised a brow. "I've saved your life twice now, and here you are, professing your love to me like some princess in a fairytale."

The irony wasn't missed, but Emma decided dwell on it later. "I know it's a lot to take in, but you can't tell me you didn't feel it too."

Derek swallowed, not bothering to acknowledge her assumption. "The only thing I _feel_ is annoyed and a bit terrified."

"We are connected Derek. And nobody here is who they say they are." She insisted. "And I can prove it."

Pulling out a small vial, she handed it to him. "Drink this."

"Are you mad?!" Derek asked, studying the vial.

"No." Emma exhaled. "You'll know I'm not lying."

"So I'm supposed to just drink some strange liquid in a bottle, because some blonde asked me to." He repeated aloud, hoping it would somehow seem less senseless. It didn't.

"No, do it for yourself." She insisted, her voice slightly edgy. "Despite you lying, I know you saved me for a reason. Listen to your gut."

Derek stared at the blonde beauty that had captured his eye earlier. He didn't remember how he'd known to take a left and not a right. He couldn't fathom why he would risk his own freedom to stop and save her. When their eyes met, he'd felt like he'd seen them before. Maybe in another life, if he believed in that sort of thing.

"What if it's poisoned?" He finally wanted to know.

"I would never hurt you." Emma promised, ignoring the nagging reminder in her heart that she already had.

Derek studied her for a moment. He'd been a crime boss for many years, and there were always signs of a liar. The blonde was unwavering and open. "Bloody Hell, you really do believe this don't you?"

"Do you think I'd be chasing you around if I didn't?" She asked in a huff.

Derek eyed the vial once again before rolling his eyes. He raised the vial, mumbling, "Here's to you." Popping the vial open, he drank it in once gulp.

' _True love's kiss.'_ She remembered, before smashing her lips to his.

Derek's arms slowly came around her, pulling her closer. Emma continued to kiss him, but something was off. It wasn't a kiss of true love…it was…lust.

"Killian?" Emma breathed, taking a step back from him. She watched for any signs of recognition in his eyes. What she saw, was nothing.

* * *

"Nice kiss, lass." He complimented.

"Seriously…?" She asked a little breathless. Curse or no curse, Killian was a hell of a kisser. But like he once did, she had hoped it meant something.

"You seem like nice lass, _really_ nice in fact…" Derek observed checking out her breasts. "But I'm a business man, and I've entertained you long enough."

"What?" Emma cried. "After all I just…"

"The only thing you've done is show me that you don't belong here!" Derek spat. "Now leave, while I'm still feeling generous."

He didn't spare her a second glance as he walked back towards the main doors of the warehouse.

"So that's it?!" Emma asked more to herself than anyone else. She was confused and heartbroken and utterly, defeated.

"Come find me when you need a job. Exit's to the left." He called out, before disappearing into the night.

Emma felt her world fall beneath her feet. She could hear the dark one's voice in her head, taunting her. _'Come now, dearie. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you?"_

She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of her heartbeat. "For a second there…yeah, I did." She whispered.

Emma left the warehouse, not knowing what was the next move. Was there even a next move?

So caught up in her thoughts, she didn't hear the footsteps sneak up behind her. A black clothed bag covered her head. She started to scream, but the oxygen to her lungs were being crushed by a meaty hand.

"Sorry to waste the goods Blondie," the gruff voice whispered lustfully in her ear. "I got my orders."

Emma tried to struggle against the brute known as Morgan. She had recognized his voice. Damn, what she wouldn't give to have her powers now. With her oxygen depleting, she faded into unconsciousness, but not before thinking ' _Killian ordered him to… kill me?'_

* * *

She stood at the mass of the black ship that was in the port. It was a strange night. Not a single star in the sky, and the winds were still, a heavy fog sat on the ocean. Bad night for any sailor.

Then she heard it. Whispers…her nerves were on edge as her hair was whipped to the side by the sudden gust of bone chilling wind. She half turned, to see a commotion in the distance.

A man was dragging an unconscious body to the ocean. From the shadows, it was a woman, in a familiar red jacket. The brute tossed her into the ocean, letting the tide drag her body out. He watched briefly, before disappearing back into the darkness.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me." She grumbled. "I'd better get points for this Zeus."

Taking a breath, she jumped off the ship, swimming as fast as she could to the other woman. Reaching her, wasn't easy. The water was freezing, and the moonlight wasn't particularly bright.

But after a few desperate moments of shuffling, she managed to grip the victims arm, pulling her body close to hers. She sputtered, swimming with one had back to shore. "I mean it. I better get major points for this!"

She drug them both to shore. Wasting no time, she gave mouth to mouth, pumping on the blonde beauty's chest, trying to remember everything she'd seen on TV. "Come on! Breathe!" she commanded, blowing air and pumping more.

She was about to give up, when the blonde coughed up water, her eyes dazed and heavy.

"That's it slick. Get the sea out of ya." She encouraged tiredly. Now, how to get them from the docks, to a fire.

"Major points for this." She grumbled looking down at the blonde.

* * *

A throbbing headache brought Emma into consciousness. She felt the sun streaming down her face, felt the warmth of a blanket covering her. Wait. She wasn't dead?

Her senses were on high alert as she examined her new surroundings.

There was a woman, shuffling around the apartment. She had waist length burgundy hair, olive skin, model frame.

"Rise n' shine, honey." She announced. "There's some aspirin on the table."

"Who are you?" Emma demanded to know.

"Megara, friends call me Meg." She announced casually. "At least they would, if I had any friends."

"I'm..." Emma started.

"Emma." Meg finished, handing her a cup of coffee. "The _savior_."

"We know each other?" She asked, already knowing that they didn't. But she accepted the much needed caffeine nonetheless.

"I saw you in the underworld." Meg explained. "While Hades was busy manipulating you, I made a break for it."

"How are you alive?" Emma implored, dying for any information. "Where did you come from?"

"I'm actually a lot like you. I came from what this world has labeled, ' _Ancient Greece._ '" Meg quoted with her fingers. "I went down there to save my boyfriend, and got stuck there for centuries."

"Then we have something in common." Emma revealed, "Because that's precisely why I'm here."

Meg crossed her arms. "Uh huh. Good luck with that, slick."

"Wait, you just can't leave, I need your help." She set the empty coffee cup on the counter.

"The only help you'll get from me is directions out of New York." Meg edged around the squat, gathering her things.

"You've been here longer. You knew who Killian was when he came here." Emma accused.

Meg didn't deny it. "When you've been in the darkness for so long, you become connected to it. Like ESPN or something."

"You hear the whispers." Emma surmised.

Meg tilted her head and gave a cynical scoff. "You can call it that…and I started hearing them the moment your pirate came back from the dead."

"So, you know he's in trouble!" She pressed on. "My magic is screwed here, but yours isn't."

"Look, whatever deals you have with Hades, I want nothing to do with." Meg held a hand in protest. "I just thought I'd return a courtesy- so much for integrity."

Emma noticed it wasn't much packing she had to do. Meg was a wonderer- no country, no flag, no allegiance. Much like she was as a teenager. The apartment was a squat, and a means to an end. The Grecian lived a life on the run, but why? "What did Hades do to you?"

Meg paused, her lavender eyes going dark. "He opened my eyes to how naïve I was."

"Meg, I am lost here. You're the only one whose faced Hades and won." Emma said desperately.

"I didn't win!" She snapped. "Have you not heard a word I said? Your boyfriend is dead. Give it up, and move on!"

"No!" Emma shouted. "I won't leave Killian to remain Hades' dummy for the rest of his life!"

"Love isn't a fairytale, so I suggest you wake up." Meg advised, and headed for the door, not looking back.

As the door slammed, Emma fell back on the couch. Her only chance of salvation just walked out the door.

Maybe Meg was right. Killian had ordered his henchmen to murder her. _No,_ Emma reminded herself. _Not Killian, Derek_.

She made Killian a promise in Camelot. She hadn't abandoned him then, and she certainly wasn't going to start now.

She had come too far, and there was no going back.

 _You won't see me fall apart…'Cause I've got thick skin, and an elastic heart…-Sia._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for everything. Truly. Sorry if this chapter is a little short. Like I said, I'm editing and rewriting different scenarios. I wanted to introduce Meg into the story, because I think she's an important supporting character for the disney world of Greek Gods.**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite-me!**

 **-R.**


	8. Loopholes

**A/N: Hey! Back with another chapter. Thanks for all the support! Really, I appreciate it. Everyday, I always wonder, "Should I even continue writing this? Who reads it?" And then I see all the views and I'm happy. Thank you for all of those who review and follow and favorite me! It's what keeps me going.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.

Chapter VIII: Loopholes

* * *

"Hey Boss. I think you'll wanna see this." The guard called, with a smirk. "We got us a contender."

"Get rid of whoever it is. Tell him, we're not interested." Derek called out, studying his chest board.

"They insist boss." The guard reported back.

Derek rolled his eyes. "Jack, go persuade them with a 45 caliber bullet."

"Aye." Jack stood, pulling out his gun. But it was too late.

"I don't even get an interview?" She asked, standing a mere foot away.

Derek paused from his game, identifying the all too unforgettable voice.

The blonde stood before him, hair pulled back in a sleek pony tail, all black leather trench coats, much like the ones she wore as the dark one. Her spiked heels made a distinct echo against the cold cement floor when she walked.

Derek was at a loss of words, seeing the transformation before him. This wasn't the confused pretty blonde that he'd met a week ago.

"May we have the room gentlemen?" She asked, as six men held guns to her head. The one named Jack, however, was all grins.

Jack signaled to the men to lower their weapons, since Derek was obviously mute. "Come on gents. Let's go prepare for the drop."

She caught a glimpse of Morgan out the corner of her eye. He was seething, mulling over the fact that she wasn't dead. Nonetheless, the men filed out, leaving them alone in the room.

"How…?!" Was the first thing Derek wanted to know? In all his years of evading the police, he'd outwitted secret agents and S.W.A.T. teams; only to be found twice by this determined nutcase.

"It's like I said," She answered with leer. "I will always find you."

"There you go again, sounding like a true loon." Derek retorted, his suspicions quite clear.

"I want in." Emma exhaled, ignoring the baiting words.

"What?" Derek asked a bit stunned.

"You told me to find you when I needed a job." She remembered. "Whatever it is you want me to do, I'm in."

"Whatever I want, just like that?" Derek snapped his fingers for effect.

"I don't give up easily." She admitted.

"That's for damn sure." He muttered slightly.

"Even if you sent your henchmen to do your dirty work." Emma raised her brow.

Derek's poker face faltered a bit. Apparently someone in his crew wasn't very good at following orders. He commanded his crew to move shop, but the blonde was not to be harmed. He'd find out who disobeyed him, and they'd pay with their life.

He feigned nonchalance. "I didn't order anyone to kill you, but I did warn you that you don't belong here."

Emma frowned in suspicion. She was almost certain it was Morgan who tried to drown her. But if Derek hadn't given the order, then who did? _Milah…_ came immediately to her thoughts.

"The person who doesn't belong here is you." She countered. "Playing mob boss is hardly a good use of your time."

Meg was right. The moment she'd found Killian's latest hiding space, something was different. The darkness was more present and lurking in the shadows. She didn't have much time left.

At her bold statement, Derek's gaze darkened. "JACK." He called.

Jack reappeared, checking the situation. Obviously, the pretty blonde had struck a nerve. "Yeah." He answered.

"Please escort our intruder out." Derek snarled, turning to leave.

Jack grabbed her arm accordingly. "Come, Miss…?"

"It's Leia." Emma answered automatically. "And there's no need. I'll let myself out."

She passed Derek. "I'll see you soon." She winked.

She walked out of the makeshift cave, praying like hell her plan would go into effect.

* * *

What caught her slightly off guard as a swift fist came flying across her face. Emma blocked it, sending a kick to the stomach.

Milah grunted as she grabbed Emma's arm, twisting it behind her back. Emma head butted her, sending her flying back.

"You're like a gotdamn rash!" Milah spat, pulling out a gun. Emma backed against the wall.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with." Emma barked.

"Oh I do." Milah growled. "Don't come near Killian again."

Emma's eyes widened. "What…what did you say?"

"You think I wouldn't recognize the witch that stole my man from me?" Milah asked.

"You remember…" Emma voice grew quiet in the realization, that things were totally fucked.

Milah smirked. "This is my second chance, and I'm not letting you get in the way of it this time."

"But How?" Emma demanded to know.

"I learned something from you _Savior_." Milah mocked. "I wanted to be with Killian, so Hades made me a deal. We could live happily ever after, as long as I kept him away from you." Pointing the gun directly over Emma's heart, she growled "So take this as a warning-you come near him again, I'll…"

"You'll what?" Emma challenged, "you'll kill me?! Go ahead."

"No," Milah chuckled, "I'll kill him. I'll crush his heart, and you get to watch him die all over again."

Emma could barely contain her rage. "Some love."

"And then, we can be together in the underworld." Milah reasoned. "A win-win for me."

Emma saw the madness in her eyes. Milah was as serious as a heart attack. She needed a new plan. Figuring Milah wasn't going to shoot her, she walked away, praying she wouldn't receive a bullet to the back.

* * *

Derek made his way to his office, slamming the door behind him. He sat in his chair, and paused. The light smell of perfume was scented in the air.

The blonde was had been here. He immediately began checking his office, making sure everything was intact.

He did a quick turn of the combination to the safe, opening it slowly. "SHIT!" he cursed. The wench had robbed him of the diamonds he'd stole last night. All that was in the safe, was a note.

' _You know where to find treasure.'_ Was all it read. He crumpled the paper, in his hands. Then he chuckled to himself. She truly was unlike any other woman he'd ever met.

"Alright Blondie." Derek conceded aloud. "I'll play your little game-for now."

He grabbed his leather coat and headed to the Treasure chest.

* * *

"Bloody hell." Derek laughed as a bag of diamonds landed on the counter. "You are determined, I'll give you that."

He'd been sitting in a private sector, contemplating the blonde's intentions. Ever since she'd showed up, things had felt different. Lately he felt like he wasn't in charge of the crew, but was more like a prisoner with many guards…but why?

"I'll take that as a compliment." Emma smirked as she slid into bar-stool next to him.

Then he saw the skull and crossbones necklace, nestled between her lovely breasts. "You stole my diamonds and kept a trophy."

"What's wrong Norington? Can't handle a little competition?" Emma raised her brow.

"Quite the contrary luv." Derek winked. "In order to compete, you have to first know the game."

"I'm a little too old for games." She reminded him as he poured her a shot.

"What do you call this then?" Derek asked, nodding toward the diamonds.

"Persistence." Emma answered.

"Well your _persistence_ is quite intriguing." Derek admitted. "I say it deserves a toast- to being chased by bosomy blondes."

They clinked glasses, and Emma took her shot without hesitation. She would play this game of cat and mouse for now, but it was all a means to an end.

She couldn't be as reckless as she had three days ago. The odds were stacked against her, especially with Milah being such a close threat to Killian.

Derek eyed the ring on her left hand, and smirked. "Now that you have my attention, I have to ask, what love-sick sap gave that to you?"

Emma glanced at the ring, forcing down the tears that were on the brink of falling. "An old friend."

Pouring her another shot, he asked, "He must be more than that-you're wearing a Hope ruby. Very expensive, very rare."

Emma eyed the ring on her middle finger. A hope ruby. She couldn't fight the small quiver of her lips. She took another shot, gaining control over her emotions. "We understood each other, that's all."

"So, why aren't you chasing him instead?" Derek raised a devilishly handsome brow. One that reminded her so much of Killian, it was almost too painful to watch.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Emma assured quietly.

"And how exactly do you plan on me _believing_ you?" He alluded, taking a shot of rum. "You plan on kidnapping Jess for your next trick?"

Emma assumed that was the alias Milah was under. The thought had crossed her mind to go back and deliver another right hook. "Why would I kidnap her?"

"Well," Derek pointed out the obvious. "You did break into my vault to steal a sack of diamonds."

"A sack of diamonds I returned." Emma rectified.

"Stealing is stealing, luv." He told her, taking another shot. "But I see you're willing to go to extreme lengths to get what you want, and you're a survivor."

"What?" Her eyes bulged out of her head. David was right. Derek may not be Killian, but his habits, his mannerisms…they hadn't changed. He still did most things with his right hand, because his left used to be gone. He still has that old world accent, same intense blue eyes, and yet…

"I said you're a survivor." Derek lifted a shot to her before swallowing his. "I admire that in a woman."

"True." Emma lifted a shoulder, trying to recover from the shock. "But kidnapping isn't my thing. Besides, someone once showed me the value of good form."

"Really." Derek commented, intrigued. "And who would that be?"

She answered his question by lifting her hand. The ring sparkled despite the dim atmosphere of the Treasure Chest.

"That doesn't sound like me at all." He chuckled, rimming the glass with his finger.

"That's because it isn't." Emma confirmed. Rising off the bar-stool, she grabbed her red jacket. She had to go before Milah discovered them, and she needed some answers.

Derek stood, grabbing her arm. "Where are you going? I was just starting to enjoy our rendezvous."

"I know when someone is trying to get me drunk." She indicated to the multiple shot glasses. "And as far as the game goes, I can promise you one thing."

"And what's that, luv?" Derek whispered, placing a single tendril from her face. As confused as she was, he couldn't deny that she was gorgeous, or that there was _something_ about her.

"When I win, and I _will_ win, it won't be because of any trickery, or inebriation." Emma promised quietly. "It will be because you want me."

"Oh I want you, alright." Derek assured in a raspy voice. The kind she remembered he only used when they were in bed together, whispering endearments to each other. But without love, it just came across cheap, and sleazy.

"I suppose you'll want your necklace back." She said, not willing to part with it. When she had seen it in his vault, she was heartbroken. Killian never took it off. Now that she had it, she never wanted to part with it.

"I'd say you earned it." Derek shrugged. "Welcome to the crew."

"Well then," Emma couldn't resist giving him a light kiss on the cheek, for old times' sake. "Goodnight, _boss_." She whispered, and walked out the bar.

It wasn't until she was a good block around the corner that she paused against the brick, letting silent tears shed down her face.

* * *

"Mom, Dad I don't think I can do this!" Emma wailed into the phone.

She sat back in her old apartment that she had shared with Henry, after Pan's curse. It was exactly the same, but it held little comfort for her. "It's worse than I thought…He looks right through me!"

" _But you said there was a connection!" Snow recalled. "That's something!"_

"That was lust, not love." Emma confessed. "Tonight just proved that. He sees me as nothing but a piece of ass."

"It wasn't strong enough to break Hades' curse, if it's even a curse at all." Emma replied. "And with no magic, I could kiss him 100 times and it wouldn't make a difference."

" _How can he remember who you are, if he doesn't even remember who he was?" David reminded her._

"That's just it! This isn't the enchanted forest! And It's not like the Underworld, where he just forgot the thing he loves most…He's a completely different person." She stressed "Hook doesn't exist."

" _No. Emma, if it really wasn't Hook, Milah wouldn't even be there." David protested. "Hades can't erase true love. If he could, he would've been able to stop it in the Underworld."_

"Maybe not…but he can make damn sure it's forgotten." She whispered.

" _Emma, there are moments with you and Derek. You have to find a way to heal his heart and…" Snow told her._

"Wait, what?" Emma asked, sitting up straight. "What did you say?"

" _Look for the moments." Snow repeated._

"No, about the heart." Emma thought aloud. "Maybe I've been going about this the wrong way. All this time, I've been trying to get him to remember…me."

" _Yes. If he can remember himself, then he can remember you, And if he can remember, he love you." David spoke up. "It's how I saved your mother."_

"But that was in another realm." Emma reminded them. "This time, maybe the answer isn't magic and kissing."

" _I don't follow." Snow admitted._

" _Yeah, how is love not the answer?" David asked._

"Love _is_ the answer, just not with magic." Emma explained. "Gold was right. Hades is too powerful for us."

" _And Hook doesn't remember you, because you never existed before today, and neither has he." Snow elaborated, trying to put together the pieces._

"Yes, but…that doesn't mean we don't share one heart, and we can't fall in love again." Emma told them, feeling hope for the first time since the Underworld.

" _I think you've found your loophole." David's voice smiled through the phone._

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for all the support! Over 5,000 views and counting. If the story seems like it's at a stalemate, don't worry. Things are about to change drastically. I chose the name** _ **Derek**_ **for Killian's reincarnated form, because in the Swan Princess, the prince is named,** _ **Derek.**_

 **Review/Favorite/Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


	9. Something New at 8:15

**A/n: We're getting towards the belly of the beast in this story, and again, I want to thank everyone who added this story to their favorites, or followed me, or reviewed. I promise, these next few chapters are going to be very** _ **Once Upon a Time**_ **like.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.**

 **Apologies, for any grammatical errors.**

 **Chapter VIIII: _Something New at 8:15_**

* * *

Regina awakened with a start, checking the time…8:15 am. Robin was sound asleep next to her.

She stood slowly, walking down the hall to check on the baby, whom they decided to name Zara. Her room was decorated in all mint green, much to Regina's dismay, but Robin insisted she have something of her mother.

The baby was quietly snoring, which caused Regina to smile a bit. She was a beautiful little girl. Amazing how something so precious, could also represent so much…pain.

But she needed to focus on what had awakened her. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. Heading downstairs, she grabbed her cell. She needed to inform the Charming's.

* * *

 _8:15 AM (New York)_

Meg rolled her eyes heaven-ward. "How did you find me?" she grumbled. She was at least 200 miles away from New York City, and had been enjoying the sunrise.

"It's my thing." Emma said simply. If by her thing she meant, hotwiring a stolen car and driving overnight, searching all around the city, then yeah.

Meg gave her a cynical brow. Emma sighed. "I figured Syracuse, New York would remind you of home."

Staring off the rooftop of abandoned building, Meg nodded. "I guess I'm a lot more transparent than I thought."

"Remember, that help you offered?" Emma asked, walking up to her.

Meg raised a brow. "What help?"

"A way out of New York." Emma reminded her. "Well, I'm cashing in."

Meg smirked. "Glad you're thinking rationally. I've got a car stashed away for emergencies such as this."

"You can drive a car?" Emma asked, impressed. Meg shrugged. "I'm a quick learner."

"I don't have much time." She told the Grecian. "I have to meet Killian tonight. But it's going to be impossible with Milah watching him."

"What can ya do? Hades plays with a loaded deck." Meg said casually.

Emma frowned as she remembered what Meg had said a week ago. _'Your boyfriend is dead. Give it up, and move on!'_ "You knew! You knew Killian was being guarded by the dead."

Meg didn't deny it. "Hence my rapid departure."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Emma snapped. "I wouldn't have been blindsided two days ago when Milah had nearly took my head off!"

"We are not a team!" Meg shouted. "I told you there was no beating Hades! I told you it wasn't worth it!"

"NO!" Emma roared. "I've gone to hell and back, faced certain death, and embraced a darkness you could not BEGIN to understand!" Frustrated tears began to fall as she continued. "Killian has been there through all of it! And I cannot lose him! I _cannot_ lose my family!"

"Then you're on your own, slick." Meg began to walk away, but Emma grabbed her arm.

"Weren't you ever in love?" She asked tiredly. "Have you ever found someone worth the fight? For happiness?"

"My happiness wasn't possible, Savior. I'm no saint." Meg exhaled. "And I'm not going to join some half-assed quest for the sake of redemption."

"I'm not asking for your redemption." Emma clarified. "I'm just asking you to believe."

"In _what!"_ Meg snapped. "In love? In sacrifice? Wake UP!"

Snatching her arm back, she sneered, "I've been to hell too, Savior. The difference between you and me is, I didn't mind it."

"If that were true, you wouldn't have tried to escape." Emma reasoned quietly. Knowing she wasn't going to make any headway, she turned to leave.

* * *

"So, you called us, because of a hunch?" David asked sleepily. Snow cut him a chiding glare, before apologizing. "Forgive him Regina, he's usually not so grumpy in the mornings."

"That's usually because I wake up with my morning…" David's comment faded as Henry walked into the room.

"Morning, gramps." He greeted. "Mom! What are you doing up so early?"

Regina smirked. "Because evil never sleeps."

"Don't I know it." David commented dryly.

"What's going on?" Henry asked her, frowning slightly. "Is it about mom?"

"No." Regina shook her head. "Last I heard from Emma, she was on her way to find someone named Meg."

"Who's Meg?" Robin asked as he came through the door with baby Zara. Snow immediately took her, cooing at the precious little girl.

"Don't ask." Regina sighed.

"Regina has a feeling something's coming, although she doesn't know what." David filled him in, passing the bandit a cup of black coffee.

Robin accepted it in silent gratitude. Turning to his lover, he suggested. "Maybe it was a bad dream? You have been a little on edge since Emma left."

"No, it's stronger than that." She explained. "When you spend time in the darkness, there's a certain awareness you come to possess."

"Well Regina, we can't fight what we can't see." Snow reasoned. "Maybe this has something to do with…you know." She indicated discretely to the baby.

Regina's eyes widened. "Unbelievable! Still can't keep a secret!"

"Regina, we've talked about this." Robin comforted. "We both agreed it was best for the baby."

"You guys are NOT listening." Regina snapped. "Something is coming. Something new, and very dangerous."

"Mom," Henry finally spoke. "We'll figure it out. We always do."

"No." Regina corrected. "Emma does."

"And so do you!" Henry stressed. "You've saved this town before, you can do it again."

"But from what?" David voiced. "Until we know for certain, we can only hope that it's just a phase."

Regina huffed. She knew Charming was right. Why fight something you can't even see? "You're right. I'm going to take a walk. Maybe it is just stress."

"I'll go with you." Robin offered, but she shook her head. "No. I'll be back before you know it. Just need to clear my head."

And in her haze of purple smoke, she vanished.

* * *

 _8:15AM (New York City)_

Jess entered Derek's office, sauntering over to his lap. "Hey babe." She greeted sweetly.

"What?" Derek asked, coming out of his trance. "Oh, hi luv."

"What's wrong?" Jess frowned, kissing his cheek. "How about we play your favorite game?" she said huskily, "pirate and bar wench?"

Derek tried to smile, but it didn't reach his lips. "Sorry luv, I can't. Business." he apologized. Actually he didn't have any business tonight, but Leia wanted to meet at the docks.

"Off chasing your slut?" Jess seethed, rising out of his lap.

"Jess, come off it, will you?" He exhaled, more annoyed than before.

"No, I think you're falling for her." She accused darkly. "You've been acting very different lately. Ditching the crew, unscheduled meetings…at the _Treasure Chest_."

Derek stood, getting into her face. "Careful luv." He threatened. "You wouldn't want to test me."

He walked around her, heading for his office door. Morgan and Flint came in, with guns. "Move the hell out of my way!" He shouted.

Jess smirked. "I don't think you're going anywhere."

Morgan then shoved him against the wall. "Sorry, mate. Nothing against ya, but I got orders."

"You take your orders from me!" Derek barked.

"Do I?" Morgan mocked with a chuckle. Derek wanted to rip his jaw from his mouth to get rid of his crooked smile. "You're the one who tried to kill her."

Morgan frowned. "The bitch has nine lives. She should be dead!"

Jess walked passed Derek, giving him a kiss on the lips, which he turned his head to avoid. "Sorry my love. It's for the best."

Addressing Flint, she ordered, "Make sure he doesn't leave this room. If he tries to escape, break his legs."

"Aye, boss." Flinted affirmed.

* * *

Jack sauntered down the hallway of the empty warehouse, drinking his rum.

He paused at seeing most of the crew gather in the large shipping room. Finding some large crates to hide behind, he avoided making a sound as he eavesdropped.

"LISTEN UP!" Jess roared loudly from on top of a table. "Things are about to change around here! Derek is no longer in charge, not that he ever was!"

The crew laughed.

"Derek is not to leave this building! We all know what's at stake if he reaches the girl!"

Jack furrowed his eyes together. The girl? She must have meant Leia. Not that he believed that was her name, but he did believe her when she had said Derek wasn't safe.

He had been stuck in the god forsaken spit of land for over 40 years, as punishment for stealing from the Bermuda triangle. When Derek helped break him out of a police station, he decided to stick around.

Now he knew why. There was magic connected to him, and not necessarily good magic.

"If he tries to escape, or if anyone tries to help him, they will die!" Jess announced. "And if you see the blonde-bring me her head."

The crew erupted in agreement, and Jack used the ruckus to escape. He needed to find Leia-fast.

* * *

Emma paced back in forth on the rooftop of a building, three miles from Derek's latest hideout.

Since arriving back in the city, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. She had waited at the docks for over an hour and he hadn't shown.

Glancing at her phone, she checked the time. 8:15PM " Where are you?" She grumbled aloud.

"He's being...detained." A voice announced.

Emma spun around to see Jack running towards her. "Where is he? Wait, how did you find me?"

Jack pulled out a compass, that appeared to be ancient, and…broken. "With a compass that doesn't point North?"

"With an enchanted compass, that helps you locate the thing you want most." He clarified. "And right now, that's you."

Emma studied him for a moment. "You're from another world, aren't you? You're a pirate."

Jack shrugged. "Sadly yes. I got banished here some time ago."

"Let me guess. Jack Sparrow?" She thought aloud.

"Jack Sparrow is a movie character." He commented dryly. "My name really is Jack. Friend's call me Calico. You?

"Emma. I came looking for my true love." She revealed. "But he doesn't remember who he is."

"Derek?" Jack guessed.

"Yes, but his real name is Killian Jones." Emma explained.

"Captain Hook." He recalled with a smirk. He'd heard about the vicious one-handed pirate who had lived centuries. He was a legend.

"I need to get him out of here because right now he is in danger, and I can't protect him in a world with no magic." Emma stressed her dilemma.

"Well we need to find a way," Jack suggested. "Because we currently have a mutiny on our hands."

"What?!" Emma shrieked.

"Jess, has imprisoned Hook and ordered he be killed if he tries to escape and to kill you on site." He informed her, with a cringe.

"Shit." Emma huffed. She needed a plan. "We have a warehouse full of undead, and no magic. What I wouldn't give to have John Constantine right now."

"Who?" Jack asked, confused.

"Nevermind." She waved her hand. "I need a distraction."

"That, I can do." Jack offered. "But the moment they see your face, it's all over."

"That's why she won't be the one coming for him." A woman announced.

Emma smiled, turning to see Meg walking towards them. "Surprised?" she asked.

Emma shook her head. "Never had a doubt."

Meg saw Jack and sent a worried glance to Emma. Emma shook her head. "He's with us."

"Okay." Meg sighed. "Let's go raise Hell."

* * *

Regina trekked through the woods, coming upon the pond that she and her family liked to visit. Taking a seat on the bench, she stared out into the water.

A reflection appeared, not her own. Regina rolled her eyes. "What do you want Gold."

Gold took a seat next to her on the bench. "Unfortunately, our paths must cross again."

"Not in the mood for riddles and deals." Regina exhaled, wanting to be left alone.

"Well dearie, neither one of us have a choice." He informed. "Something is coming."

Regina glanced at him. "You felt it too."

"Indeed." Gold confirmed. "Whatever it is, it's strong, and we need to prepare ourselves."

"We don't even know what _'it_ ' is." She retorted crossing her arms.

"Exactly." He nodded. "Which is why, we shouldn't leave things to chance."

"We can't fight what we can't see Rumple." Regina reminded him.

"But we can prevent it from crossing our paths." Gold advised. "I suggest, we put up a protection spell."

"there's already a spell on the town. No can get in." She said with a lift of the shoulder.

"Actually, no one can get out." He reminded her. "There's a difference. Magical objects from other lands can very well reveal our location and get inside the town."

"So you're saying you want to cast a banishment spell." Regina surmised. "You know those can't be undone."

"I know dearie, I'm the one who taught you." Gold smirked lightly. "And you also know, we need dark and light magic to enact it."

Regina bit the inside of her cheek, thinking it over. "No. Emma's still on the outside. If we set up a banishment spell, she will never find Storybrooke."

"A price I'm willing to pay, if you are." Gold said, nonchalantly.

"Don't even think about it!" Regina threatened.

He snapped. "Emma made her choice to go after the pirate! Are you willing to risk your family's life, again, or are you going to protect it?!"

Regina didn't bother answering him, because he had vanished. Now she was stuck with the perplexing decision. Save the town, or save Emma?

* * *

Derek sat at his desk, debating on how to get the hell out of there. He could take Flint easily in a fair fight, but Morgan was 350lbs of solid muscle, and hit like a freight train.

A loud thundering noise shook the building. "It's the girl!" Someone shouted.

Morgan shot up, cocking his gun. He glared at Derek before telling Flint. "Watch him. I'm going to go check it out."

The door slammed shut. Flint held the gun steady at Derek's head, waiting for him to make a move.

What no one expected, was for another person to suddenly drop in from the ceiling.

Meg dropped down like a cat as Flint tried to shoot at the intruder. She grabbed the Maltese falcon desk statue and slammed it into his face.

Flint went down like paper. Throwing the object on the floor, she turned to Derek. "Let's go." She panted.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded to know. All these random women showing up from nowhere was starting to make him consider sobriety.

"Try something new Pretty boy, it's called trust." She retorted. "And trust me, we gotta go."

* * *

 **A/N: Omg…what is going to happen next!? Thanks so much for all the support and love and views. I hope this chapter gave you a feeling of Once Upon a Time. I brought back most of the characters to wrap things up in New York. In the next chapter, we'll still be dealing with a confused Killian, a witty Jack, and a new danger that will have everyone on their A-game.**

 **Review/Favorite/Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


	10. Believe

**A/n: Sorry, for the late update-crazy work. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I really cannot thank you enough. Over 7,000 people read this story. I'm not even sure if that's good, great, or excellent, but I'll take what I can get (smiles).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time**

 **Chapter X: Believe**

* * *

Meg slowed down as they reached the edge of the docks, the agreed rendezvous location.

Derek eyed her with mistrust. "I don't particularly like being in someone's debt, so tell me why the hell did you risk your life for me."

Meg rolled her purple eyes. "Who says I did it for you?"

Derek frowned. "I'm just supposed to believe that?!"

"You should mate," Jack called emerging from the shadows. "It happens to be the truth."

Derek stepped forward and took out the pistol he swiped from Flint. "Make one more move, and I'll blow your head off, _mate_."

Jack raised his hands in submission, but hardened his glare. "All I do for you and this is how you repay me?"

"For all I know, you're in on this!" Derek snapped. "I'm finding it a little difficult to trust my crew at the moment."

"That's unfortunate." A voice came out. Derek saw Milah appear out of the fog, holding a gun to Meg's waist. "Not that I blame you."

"You know that favor?" Meg asked Derek breathlessly. "Now would be the time."

"Shut up!" Milah ordered, jamming the gun in her side.

Derek's dark gaze fell on Jess. "Let her go, and I promise to make your death painless."

Milah laughed. "Save your touching threats for her funeral."

"Before I kill you, I only have one question," Derek said with a snarl. "Why?"

Milah's cocky leer fizzled out into a gruesome frown. "Because I saw that bitch trying to take you away from me."

"You love power." Derek clarified. "Not me." He cocked his gun, preparing to fire.

A sudden wind knocked him to his feet as pain seared his ribs. He glanced up to see Morgan hovering over him. Jack was a few yards away, unconscious.

How had he not heard them coming? It was if they moved like ghosts. Morgan gave Derek another sharp kick to the stomach, before lifting him up, restraining.

* * *

"I should have known." He spat blood at Morgan's feet.

"Oh Derek," Milah sighed as she stroked Meg's hair. "If only you knew how much I love you."

"I think I'm seeing clearly enough." He wheezed.

Milah shook her head stubbornly. "I have to do what's necessary to protect you. Soon you'll understand. I'm just sorry it had to play out this way."

"You should be!" Emma's voice rang out as she charged towards her like a linebacker. Meg and the gun were shoved aside to the floor as the women wrestled each other.

Derek wasted no time in trying to take on Morgan, with the help of Jack, whom had recovered. At the current moment, Morgan was being suffocated to death.

Emma screamed in rage as Milah grabbed her hair, tossing her over the shoulder like she weighed nothing. Emma managed to block some swift punches, before receiving a few hard blows to the ribs. Milah stumbled back a bit, whipping out a knife.

Meg tried to grab a hold of Milah, but her hellish strength was too much. Milah easily shoved her off roughly to the ground, before coming to stand over Emma.

"Enjoy heaven," Milah cackled crazily.

Emma glared before doing a quick kickboxing move, sending Milah flying to the ground.

Whipping out a gun from her boots Emma smirked, "Go to hell." Two resounding shots rang out as she shot Milah in the heart, and the head.

Jack broke the resounding silence with a low whistle. "Lass is hardcore."

"I think I deserve some answers." Derek demanded from Emma.

Meg crossed her arms. " _Now?!"_

"Did I stutter?" Derek glared at her.

Emma exhaled, staring at Milah and Morgan's bodies. "Meg's right. We have to get the hell out of here."

"NO!" Derek barked. "Ever since I saved your life, mine has been completely upside down! How did you know I was in danger?!"

"I get that you have a lot of questions, but believe me, now isn't the time!" Emma begged, desperate to leave. It was only a matter of times before the rest of the undeadly crew, or worse the police, found them.

"There's that word again- _believe_!" Derek shouted. "If you want any chance of that, it bloody well is the time! TALK."

"No time mate." Suddenly, Jack had a clothed hand covering Derek's face. Derek slumped in his arms.

"The hell?!" Emma exclaimed, suddenly back in attack mode.

"Relax love. It's chloroform." Jack explained. "I had a feeling he'd freak out, so I stole some from the infirmary on the way out."

"Nice thinking Rex." Meg complimented. "Now come on. We gotta dust our tracks."

* * *

 ** _Meanwhile in Storybrooke_**

"Absolutely NOT." Snow protested harshly.

"You're being irrational!" Regina shouted back. Needless to say, the Charming's hadn't taken her news of a banishment spell very well-not that she blamed them.

But it was the only plan of prevention from whatever was coming. The last time she didn't listen to Gold, her mother was brought to Storybrooke.

"Damn right, we are!" David agreed. "This our daughter we're talking about!"

"I don't like the idea either, but we have to do _something."_ Regina reasoned. "Gold confirmed the same feeling I did."

"Gold's involvement is _exactly_ what's bothering me." David expressed. "He and Emma aren't exactly on best of terms, since her blackmailing him."

"Regina, I agree with him. Gold has nothing but lie to us for years." Snow sighed. "What if this is a trap to get rid of Emma?"

"What if it isn't?" Robin countered. "I don't trust Rumplestilzskin either, but if something's coming, we have more lives to consider besides Emma's."

"Exactly." Regina agreed.

"So that's it?! After all she's done for the both of you, for all of us, we just leave her out in the cold?!" David snapped.

"Emma is my daughter! As a mother, you should understand that!" Snow leveled with Regina.

Regina felt her anger festering. "You're right-I _am_ a mother. I'm Henry's mother."

"So is Emma." David said, raising a brow.

"And Emma wouldn't hesitate barricading this place if it meant keeping him safe!" Regina shouted. Taking a breath, she told them, "Emma told me to be the savior. And that's what I'm going to do."

"Something tells me you aren't asking." David deduced with a frown.

"I'm not." Regina revealed sadly. "I'm going to call Emma and give her a heads up. The barrier will be up by sunrise."

She vanished again. David kicked a barstool, sending it flying into wall, breaking into pieces. This time, Snow said nothing, being lost in her own thoughts.

Robin exhaled. "We just have to hope like hell that Emma makes it home."

He walked out of the small apartment to find Regina.

Snow felt tears emerge as she paced the house aimlessly. "You know they're right…" she whispered.

David took a shot of whiskey, trying to control his rage. "That's kind of the problem." He breathed.

"We just have to have hope that she'll make it." She suggested wearily.

"And if she doesn't?" He asked with a glare.

"She will." Snow insisted. "She has to."

* * *

Regina stood with her back to him, staring at her favorite apple tree. "I thought I'd find you here." Robin announced, coming into her garden.

Regina took a deep quivering breath. "Not now Robin." She whispered.

"No running." Robin said, turning her to face him. "It's going to be alright."

"Did you see the way they looked at me?" Regina asked dejectedly. "They were both staring at me…like I was…"

"The Evil Queen?" Robin guessed.

Regina nodded. "I tore their family apart 30 years ago. And now I'm about to do it again."

"NO." Robin opposed. "You are being a leader-a leader who is making a choice to save everyone. Emma would do the same."

"But what if Gold is doing this for selfish reasons?" She asked. "He never has done anything that hasn't benefited him."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Robin assured her. "But for now, our job is to protect Storybrooke. David and Mary Margret will come around."

"Will they?" Regina asked, doubtfully.

"They don't think you're evil Regina. They're hurt because they know you're right." Robin told her, pulling her close.

* * *

They pulled into an old abandoned house on the outskirts of the city. "We're here." Meg announced, jumping out of the truck.

"What the hell is _here?"_ Jack asked, afraid to even breathe in the smelly sewage air.

"We're south of the New York landfill. The last place anyone would look." Meg boasted proudly.

"I can smell why." Jack complained, covering his nose with his jacket.

"Time to go. Regina's planning on enacting a banishment spell." Emma told them after checking her messages. "I only have till sunrise to make it back to Storybrooke."

Jack cursed. He wasn't quite sure what or where that was, but it didn't sound good. "How far is our journey?"

"Wait, you're going?" she asked surprised.

"I saved his life, you save mine, we're square." Jack retorted.

"Well you better get moving slick." Meg told them. "I'm pretty sure you just wounded the Milah."

"How is that possible, I did two kill shots?" Emma said, remembering her hitting the heart and brain.

"She was already dead." Jack reminded her. "I'm pretty sure the lass can't die again."

"Then let's get the hell out of here." Emma agreed. "But we need a new ride. I'm sure this old pickup truck won't push past 50 mph."

"On it." Meg led them around back. She pulled back a dusty tarp, uncovering a 1987 Shelby GT 500.

" _Nice…"_ Jack appraised the candy apple red sports car. "You've got style, luv."

Meg smirked. "It's gotten me out of a few scrapes." Checking the time, she whistled. "It's 12:32. If you're going to make it in seven hours, you better go."

Jack was already loading an unconscious Killian into the cramped back seat.

"He's going to freak when he wakes up." Emma groaned. One, because Killian hated cars, two- he didn't trust her and she was practically kidnapping him.

"Here." Meg handed her a golden medallion, the size of a coaster. "Last piece of the puzzle."

"This is…from Mt. Olympus." Emma stated, examining the markings. She remembered seeing the picture in one of Regina's spell books.

"Yes." Meg confirmed. "I was going to use it to bring my true love back to life. Before I got trapped in the underworld."

She half laughed in shock. "You _stole_ this?!"

"Stole back, is more like it." Meg shrugged. "It belonged to Hercules."

"Meg, you're giving this to me, why?" Emma had to know. "I thought you didn't believe in love."

Meg shrugged. "Maybe I just needed to be reminded that it's worth fighting, and dying for."

"What will it do to Killian?" She asked cautiously. Al magic came with a price.

"Its power comes directly from Zeus. With it, you can restore his memories" Meg revealed. "And his soul will finally be with you."

"That's why you're always on the run. Hades wants this." She confirmed griping the medallion.

"Hercules traded his immortality, to save me." Meg said quietly, shuffling her feet. "I don't deserve this, but you do."

"Everyone deserves a second chance Meg." Emma objected softly. "Even if you worked for the devil."

"No, Emma." Meg said. "I let fear, destroy my happiness with Hercules. If I had just trusted him, he would have never died. But I didn't. I let myself be manipulated by Hades, and paid the ultimate price."

"There's still a chance, Meg, come with us." Emma encouraged.

Meg shook her head, as tears began to form. "And leave all this? Not in a million!"

Before Emma knew what was happening herself, she pulled Meg into a fierce hug. "Thank you." She sobbed softly.

"Take care of yourself, slick." Meg whispered, before pulling herself together. When they broke apart, they both composed themselves. "Send me a postcard."

Emma nodded. She wrapped the medallion back into the cloth, and got in car.

* * *

Gold and Regina stood on opposite ends of the town line. "You ready?" he asked.

Regina merely nodded, unable to trust her own words. A part of her wanted to pull back. To give Emma a fighting chance. But as they day progressed into night, the sense of dread hung in the air. Something was definitely coming.

Gold raised his hand, allowing his dark magic to flow freely into the sky. Regina followed suit. Their mingled power caused thunder clouds. Arrays of smoke surrounding the town, before it dissipated.

"Now all it needs is time." Gold assessed.

"How much time?" Regina wanted to know. Maybe Emma got her earlier message and was on her way back.

"Not much, look." Gold indicated to the delicate force field that began to form. " By sunrise, we'll be protected. Congratulations."

"What?" Regina eyed him curiously.

"Well," Gold admitted aloud. "You always said you'd get rid of Ms. Swan, and now you have. Henry only has one mother now." He vanished in a cloud of red smoke.

Regina remained silent. That little victory felt hollow now. She had just banished her best friend. How could she just live with that?

* * *

Emma didn't have time to answer her phone. She was currently dare-devil riding with a crazy ghost on the back of her car.

Just like Meg had predicted, Milah was only wounded. How the hell she caught up with them was a mystery. _Hades'_ Emma thought instantly. That was the only explanation how a lifeless corpse had caught up to them six and half hours later.

Milah's war cry was manic as she shot out the back window. "Son of a…" Emma cursed, banging the steering wheel. Glaring at Jack, she shouted. "DO SOMETHING!

"Like what lass?!" Jack hollered back. "Pull over and talk to her?!"

"You're a freaking pirate!" Emma countered, trying to straighten the car from Morgan's truck ramming into her.

"Jack took out his pistol and checked the bullets. "Only one shot!" he cried in frustration. "Fucking typical!"

"Better make it count!" Emma called out, picking up speed. She recognized the trees on the winding road. "We're almost there!"

Jack aimed straight between Milah's wild eyes. She was half deranged, hanging onto the car for dear life, trying to shoot Emma.

"One Shot." Jack said to himself, trying to block out the noise. If he missed, they were dead. If he didn't shoot, they were dead.

Morgan rammed the car again, almost causing him to drop the gun out the window. The mustang started to spiral out of control.

"NOW!" Emma roared, ramming Morgan's truck off the road as she drifted. Jack pulled the trigger.

"Bloody Hell…" He uttered as Milah's corpse immediately disintegrated into a blazing fire as they came sliding to an abrupt halt.

"Nice shot. Emma panted as she leaned her head back against the seat. She checked the time. 7:15AM. "We made it…." She panted aloud.

Jack was still looking back to see the scratches on the back of the car, the shattered back window and bumper that seemed to be sliced clean off. "Did we?"

Emma pointed to the sign that read, _'ENTERING STORYBROOKE'_ "Yeah, we did." They sat there in silence, taking it in.

Her cell phone interrupted the quiet victory. It was Henry.

"Mom! Mom where are you?!" he asked frantically.

"Relax kid." Emma said happily. "I'm home."

* * *

"She made it!" Henry exclaimed happily. Mary Margret and David let out the breath they were holding. "Let's go-now." He commanded as he headed for his truck.

"I've got a better idea." Regina said, transporting them all to the town line.

As soon as the purple smoke vanished, they saw Emma get out the car, running towards them.

She hugged her parents, brother, and son. It was a tearful reunion. Regina came to Emma, feeling guilt eat at her.

Emma wasted no time, pulling her into a fierce hug. "Thank you." She whispered.

"For what?" Regina laughed. "Almost banishing you?"

"For protecting the thing I love most-my family." She clarified. "I'm just glad you sent me the head's up."

Jack had gotten out of the car, wearily. "Emma darling, you didn't tell me you were in cahoots with the Evil Queen."

Regina growled, but it was Robin who approached him. "She's reformed mate. So I'd watch the E word."

Jack raised a brow, but wisely chose not to indulge. He turned to Emma. "We still have a tiny problem."

Emma nodded, turning back to her family. "Hook still doesn't have his memories...and I don't know how to get them back,even with the magic."

"We'll figure it out." Snow encouraged. "The important thing is, you're back, Hook's alive, and there's still a chance for your happy ending."

"I think this calls for celebration." Henry declared. "We should throw another ball."

"Another reason to dance close with your girlfriend?" David asked slyly. Henry blushed, and punched his grandfather in the arm. David just laughed harder.

"A ball is a wonderful idea." Snow agreed, hugging her daughter.

"And this time, I'll host." Regina offered. Snow was about to object, but David smiled. "I think that's a wonderful idea, your majesty."

Emma turned to Jack. "I'll take you to my place, get Killian rested, and we'll fill you in."

Jack nodded. "Thank you. I've had to piss for the past 3 hours."

* * *

A figure waited in the shadows of the town, watching the family dinner at Granny's. "Take it in Savior." He chuckled to himself. "Because I have a score to settle...and you're about to meet my friends on the other side…"

* * *

 **A/n: Excited about the upcoming final chapters of this story! Thank you so much for all the support and love and I pray you like what is next to come. And if you don't know who the next villain is by that last few sentences, you need to brush up on your Disney movies!**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite-me!**

 **-R.**


	11. Pawns

**A/N: Sorry for not updating in 24/hr. I came down with the flu-germy children (eeww!)Thanks** _ **again**_ **for all the love. I appreciate all the positive feedback for this story. It goes to show, you can never judge a story on this website by reviews alone. I've read so many GREAT stories with less than 10 reviews, but 1,000 views and 50 followers. Thank you again! I look forward to reading some of my followers' fictions. I'm a huge fan of the show.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time.**

 **Apologies of any errors...**

 **Chapter XI: Pawns**

* * *

Derek groaned as he sat up. "Bloody hell…" he muttered. The sun peeked brightly through the bay windows.

He looked around the unfamiliar house, trying to recount his last memories. Jess was a backstabbing bitch, some strange woman named Meg had saved him, He had killed Morgan, Leia had killed Jess, and Jack had drugged him.

He needed to get the hell out of here. As if counter measures were invading his thoughts, he heard noise coming from above.

"Morning mate." Jack's voice greeted, coming down from the stairs.

Derek stood, wasting no time. "Where the hell are we?"

"Safe." Was Jack's vague answer. Everyone had agreed that less was more until they could find a way to restore Killian's memories.

But from the looks of things, Killian was ready to bolt, so Jack tried another tactic. "Look, we needed a place to lay low until the investigation dies down. Leia brought us here-we're off the grid."

Derek mulled it over in his head. Jack was right. He was probably New York's number one suspect at the moment. "Fine. Where can we get something to eat around this place?"

Jack smirked. "There's a diner not too far from here. Leia left us some spare clothes from her ex-boyfriend." Technically they were still Killian's, but he decided to mince words.

"Stop calling her that!" Derek snapped a little. "You and I both know that's not her real name." He headed towards the stairs to get dressed. He'd check his surroundings, and find a way to disappear.

* * *

Emma sat leisurely in her parent's apartment, studying the spell books. She and Regina had gotten started early, in hopes of finding some answers.

"Is there anything else that your friend told you about the medallion?" Regina asked tiredly. So far they were finding very little luck on how to actually use it.

"All she said is what the book says. Its power comes from Zeus, and it can restore Killian's memories and soul to him." Emma answered.

Snow came down the stairs, with a small frown of disapproval, but remained quiet.

"What is it mom?" Emma asked when she glanced up from the book.

"What? No, I'm fine!" Snow waved her hand, beginning to make herself some hot chocolate with cinnamon.

"No, I know that look all too well. Spill it." Emma pressed, closing the spell book.

"Really, it's nothing…"Snow said, sipping her drink. She absently began to drum her nails on the counter.

Regina glared at her. "WHAT?!" She demanded to know.

Snow jumped a bit, startled. "It's just that…I think you're going about this the wrong way." She finally admitted.

Emma looked down at the books. "What? I'm trying to find a way to restore his memories."

"Instead of making new ones?" Snow countered. When Emma paused, she continued. "Remember what you said about falling in love again? Now is your chance."

With a sigh, Emma stood placing the book on the counter. "It's not as simple as that."

"Snow's right." Regina agreed, closing the book with a resounding thud. "You're so deadest on bringing back Hook because he's already broke down those walls. Now that he's stranger, you have to do it all over again."

"You guys, he doesn't trust me!" Emma reminded them. "He doesn't even know my real name."

"He would if you told him." Snow chimed. Seeing her daughter's defenses on the rise, she exhaled. "I know you're scared. But you have to trust Hook. Trust your heart."

"I did that!" Emma snapped a little. "All in New York, I put myself out there and you know what I got? Nothing! I'm just tired of-"

"You're _tired_?!" Snow's eyes widened in admonishment. "You're tired of fighting for love?" she slammed her cup down, anger boiling from her gut.

Emma tried to explain, never seeing her mother so upset. "Listen, I didn't mean…"

"NO!" Snow cut her off suddenly. "YOU LISTEN to me _Princess_! You think you're tired?! I've been fighting for years! I've found love, lost love, been separated from it, and faced certain death because of it. My heart has been broken over and over-losing my parents, my home, my children…but it has _always_ been worth it!"

Regina felt guilt at listening to Snow. She never knew how much pain she kept to herself. It couldn't be easy-having to suffer a lifetime for a mistake as a child.

"And when I lost myself, it was David's _love_ that brought me back. Not magic, not medallions. I had to trust him- trust that he loved me enough despite me not knowing anything about him…

But none of it would have been possible if David had given up. _You_ wouldn't have been possible. So the next time you're ready to give up hope, think of all the people who have sacrificed, fought, and died, so you can be _tired_."

Emma watched Mary Margret walk off, in a huff out the door. She started to go after her, but Regina grabbed her hand. "Give her a moment."

Silence stretched between them before Regina finally said. "She's right, you know."

"Regina-" Emma sighed.

She shrugged. "It's true! Love didn't come easy for them, and it's not going to come easy for you. I hate to say it, but my love with Robin couldn't have been possible if she hadn't told me to have hope."

With a sigh, she encouraged, "Go find Guyliner. I'll stay on this."

"You sure?" Emma asked, feeling guilty for upsetting her mother. How could she be so inconsiderate? The people around her had been through hell for their love, and here she was demanding a shortcut.

"Yes." Regina nodded. "I'm better at this than you anyway."

Emma smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She grabbed her red jacket, and headed out of the apartment.

* * *

Derek walked around the town, feeling strangely excluded. People looked him in the eye as if they knew him but didn't speak outside of pleasantries. Especially the old lady who owned the diner.

Jack didn't seem to notice, or at least he pretended not to. But Derek knew his friend all too well-the scalawag didn't miss a thing.

They were currently taking a walk on the docks. It was Jack's idea to see the town, and he didn't put up much of a fuss. The more he scoped the town, the sooner he could find a way to leave.

"Enjoying the sights?"

Derek was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of the blonde's voice-which his ears were now attuned to.

"Aye." Jack greeted. "Charming town darling, but a little hard to find a drink."

Emma rolled her eyes, taking out a flask. Jack eagerly accepted, taking a hearty sip. The familiar burn felt like heaven. "Thank the blooming Lord. I hadn't been this sober since birth." He walked off merrily, enjoying his new gift.

"Now that you've appeased him, maybe you can give me some answers." Derek interrupted coolly. "Where the hell am I?"

Emma hated seeing the distrust in his eyes, but she needed to try. "We're home, well, my home."

"You told me you were a drifter." Derek recalled. "But clearly, that's another lie."

"Would you have believed me if I had told you the truth?" She asked.

"I would've believed you're more than what I see you as now." Derek countered. "A pretty, distraction." He started to walk around her, but Emma grabbed his arm, ignoring the familiar words that cut deep onto her heart.

"All I've done is try to protect you!" She explained. "Can't you just trust me?"

"Trust works both ways, lass." Derek reminded her quietly. "You want me to trust you? Tell me how you knew Jess. Hell, tell me your real name!"

Emma stared into his tortured blue eyes. Her mother's voice was pounding in her head, her heart racing a thousand miles a miles a minute _. 'I know you're scared. But you have to trust Hook. Trust your heart.'_

"I…" Emma started, trying to find her voice. Taking a breath, she replied. "I told you, it's Leia."

"Thought so." Derek remarked, snatching his arm back. "I'm out of here."

"Derek-" Emma called, but he cut her a deathly glare that stalled her.

"I saved your life, you saved mine. From where I stand, that makes us even, so stay the hell away from me." He threatened, and turned away, storming off.

* * *

Emma ran her hands through her hair, frustration heavy on her shoulders. She watched him disappear around the corner. She knew she should go after him. Killian had been so persistent-how did he do it?

"I can't do this…!" she whispered.

"Yes you can."

David approached his child, having seen the tail end of the exchange. He was disappointed, but not all too surprised. His daughter could be as determined as he was, but her stubbornness was all Snow.

Closing in, he pulled his daughter in for a comforting hug. Emma cried silently into his shoulder. David rubbed her back gently, encouraging her softly.

"How did you find me?" she asked when she finally pulled herself together.

"I know you like the ocean." David offered. "Your mother's worried that she may have been too hard on you this morning."

"No, I needed it." Emma told him. "I just wish I was as strong as her."

"You are!" David said with a frown. "You went to the Underworld for love. You sacrificed being free of darkness, for _love_."

"But now, I'm lost….I have someone from my past, someone I was so in love with…but that's all he is. A ghost from the past." Emma whispered.

"Listen to me." David said, taking Emma's crying face into his palms. "Everyone made the decisions they made for you. They've made choices and taken yours away, your whole life. But there's no way in hell, I'm going to let anyone take this choice away."

Emma tried to stop the tears, not completely understanding. "What choice is that?"

He afforded her a small smile. "You _can_ choose who you want to be with-who to fall in love with. If you want to love Killian, then save him; if it's Derek, then so be it, but don't give up."

"What if Milah is right?" She said, glancing in the direction of Killian's ship. "What if we don't belong together anymore?"

David lectured. "No one could tell me that Snow and I didn't belong together. They tried to make decisions for us, to take away our happiness, but we fought like hell. We fought like hell...for you."

Emma smiled sadly, remembering her mother saying the same thing-only a bit harsher.

"You and Neal are our happy ending. So whatever you decide, we're with you." He promised.

Emma thought for a while, and exhaled. "I think I need to be alone."

David understood. "You alright?"

Emma nodded, feeling a little more centered. "Yes I'm fine. Please, don't let anyone come search for me."

"Sure. I've got some sheriff questions for this new clown anyway." He glared meaning Jack. Emma laughed, seeing her father was acting so…protective.

"Go easy on him." She smirked and headed towards town. She paused when David called out, "If you need me…"

"You'll find me." Emma finished instantly. David's heart grew with pride. She was so much like her mother it was crazy.

"Always." He responded, before walking back towards the sheriff station.

* * *

Derek walked for what seemed like hours, circling the cookie-cutter town numerous times. Day had turned into late afternoon and there was still nowhere for him to escape. Every damn person was friendly and accommodating and asked too many questions. "I'm in hell…" he muttered.

He suddenly came upon isolated b run-down building in the woods. "Well that's odd." He thought aloud. He could have sworn that wasn't there an hour ago. But he was too wrapped up in thoughts of Leia to really have paid the scenery any attention.

Derek made his way inside. It was low-lit, and somewhat dank. A few people where playing pool in the corner, while others drank away their problems. Louis Armstrong played in the background.

He pulled up a seat at the bar, ordering a Johnny Walker.

"You must be new."

Derek glanced up to see a slim black man, with wavy hair and a toothy leer. "Is it obvious?" he asked, but didn't really care to converse.

"Well, you may have noticed," He spoke, pulling up a seat next to him. "The town ain't all that big and word travels fast."

Derek scoffed. "Understatement my friend."

"Welcome to The Shack." He greeted, signaling for a drink. "Though, I'm surprised to see a friend of the sheriff's on this side of the tracks."

"…Sheriff?" Derek asked wearily. Suspicion crept up his spine. _Please don't say it._

"The blonde woman, always wears a red leather jacket." He described, trying to job Derek's memory.

"We're not friends." Derek corrected with a frown, then asked, "What do you know of her?"

"Word is she was a bails bondsman before she came here. Hell of sheriff too. She always gets her man." He offered the information, before sipping his drink.

"I knew she was a liar." Derek growled, banging his hand on the table. "Now I'm stuck here until she can arrange transport for me back to New York."

"Well if it's a way out you need, I think I can help with that." The gentlemen smirked.

Derek eyed him suspiciously. The man was crooked, no doubt. But then again, so was he. What did he have to lose? "Derek Norrington." Introduced.

"Doctor Facilier." The man grinned widely.

* * *

Emma walked into the Mayor's Mansion, finding Regina nose deep in a book. "Any luck?"

"I've been researching all day." Regina said. "Apparently, the medallion only reveals its power to someone of true strength. Given that it belonged to Hercules, I expect no less."

She had been in her vault all morning trying to find something useful. Without going to Gold, she was amiss.

"So what does that mean?" Emma asked feeling more than a little tired. Her meeting with Killian hadn't gone as expected. Not that she was expecting anything...well, she was expecting something.

"Until I can solve the riddle, it's best we keep this under wraps." Regina advised, raising a brow. "So far only we, know about the medallion. If it falls into the wrongs hands…"

"Gold…" Emma cut in with a nod. "I get it."

"Not just him." Regina advised. "We don't know what kind of state Killian is right now. Everything from the moment he entered Storybrooke will decide his life."

"Meaning, he could turn evil and we'll never get him back." Emma sighed. "So for now, what's the plan?"

"If he falls in love with you, he'll be less able to corrupt." Regina shrugged. "So I guess the plan is, keep him on the path of good."

"Easier said, then done." Emma rolled her eyes and headed back out the door.

* * *

"Pardon my rudeness, but... _Doctor…?_ " Derek questioned.

Facilier laughed heartily. "I have a PH.D in tribal studies, specializing in the religion Voodoo."

Derek seemed somewhat surprised. "Really? A true magician."

Facilier waved off the praise. "Minor illusions, nothing fancy. Now, I specialize in a more lucrative trade."

"Which is?" He asked.

"I can make you disappear." Facilier said, and chuckled at Derek's cynical gaze. "I mean, I make fake identification-passport, license, SSC, and birth certificates...the works."

"You're telling me, you can create me a new identity, an _untraceable_ identity?" Derek asked him raising a brow.

Facilier nodded, taking a sip of his drink. "For a price, of course."

"Name it." Derek demanded, knowing this was the best damn news he's heard all day.

Facilier eyed him for a moment. There was desperation, confusion, and ambition in the young man's eyes. A recipe for disaster. "The Sheriff confiscated an artifact of mine some time ago. I'd like you to steal it back."

Derek exhaled. _Shit._ "The sheriff and I aren't on good terms."

"If you want your freedom, I suggest you get back on good terms." Faciler said, an edge of frustration in his tone. Then, he corrected, "You're a good looking fellow, shouldn't be that difficult."

Derek paused to think about the new turn of events. In order to get his freedom, he had to do the last thing he wanted to do- _explore feelings_. "So you want me to get in good with the sheriff, risking my freedom for an artifact."

"Simple snatch and grab." Facilier explained as if it were basic math.

Derek scoffed, taking a sip of his drink. "Why does that sound like some sort of pawn?"

"You're only a pawn if you don't know you're being used." He countered with a wink. "Just get her to trust you enough to show you where the medallion is. And then, steal it."

"Last time I confronted her, I drugged and driven to this Godforsaken town." He said skeptically.

"I can help with that." Facilier took out a small vial. What is with these vials? Are they the latest trend?

"And what the hell is this?" Derek picked up the small liquid and frowned. "I'm _not_ going to kill her."

"Good. Missing cops draws a lot of unwanted attention." Facilier agreed. "This however, is an antidote. More than likely, the last time they drugged you, it was with chloroform."

Derek smirked. Facilier had all the right answers to his questions. Something told him that was a major warning sign. But like he said, you were only a pawn if you weren't aware of it. Whatever the witch doctor's plans, he was staying out of it.

"Deal." He finally agreed. "When do I start?"

"No time like the present." Facilier hinted non-too-subtly. "In the meantime, I'll get started on the paperwork."

"Over confident, I see." Derek quirked. Facilier laughed. "I never make a deal I can't benefit from."

"Neither do I." Derek raised his glass to him, and headed out the door.

* * *

Facilier watched Derek leave out of the bar, making sure he was out of view, before he waved his hand. The building turned into black smoke before it disappeared back into trees, the evening air holding a familiar chill.

"Well, well…it's been a long time, _dearie_."

Facilier smiled, turning to see Rumplestilzskin emerge from the shadows, composed and lethal as always.

"Indeed it has dark one." Facilier agreed casually.

"I'm a little surprised to see you here. Given that last time, you couldn't pay your debt." Gold mocked quietly.

"Let's just say Hades put in a good word." Facilier hinted.

"Oh I see, out on parole?" Gold slyly added.

Facilier growled, feeling his anger emerge. He and the Dark one had been battling for centuries over territory. Gold had the upper hand in the enchanted forest, before banishing him to the real world. But now it was his time for glory.

Pointing a long finger in Rumple's face, he barked, "Don't you disrespect me, little man! Don't you derogate or deride!"

"Why? Are you afraid I'll out-best you, again?" Rumple asked. "Last I checked, your parlor tricks weren't enough to compete with me."

Facilier laughed. "But you're in my world now, not your world. And unlike you, I got friends on the other side!"

"By _friends_ , you mean Hades." Rumple assumed. "Well I hate to disappoint, but he's not here."

Facilier countered fiercely. "My black magic isn't tethered. And with all your power, it's limited to the dagger. So unless you want to wake up to a corpse of a wife, I suggest you start playing by my rules."

Rumple gritted his teeth, before disappearing in defeat.

Facilier's cheeky grin was a mile long as he looked at the voodoo necklace glowing bright. "Patience my friends…soon this whole town will be nothing but a shadow."

* * *

On the way from the mansion, thoughts consumed Emma's practical brain. Keep Killian on the path of good. How the hell was she supposed to do that? He had struggled with his darkness for centuries. Who knows how he might turn out? Gold certainly had changed.

"Oi" came a voice as she was passing the diner. She turned to see Killian sitting there, with a bottle of rum.

"What's all this?" Emma asked, eyeing the shot glasses skeptically.

"A peace offering." Derek shrugged. "I may have been a little unreasonable earlier. Could have been the lying, or the drugging, or kidnapping-either way, I'm here to make amends."

She watched as he sat at same booth in Granny's when he they had escaped the time portal. "Come on luv, don't make a man drink alone." He persuaded.

Emma sighed. "What the hell…" she muttered. _Here's hoping._

She took seat in the same spot as last time, while he passed her a shot. "I'll make a deal with you." He began. "If I tell you a truth, you tell me one."

"Just one?" Emma asked skeptically.

"Aye, for now." Derek agreed. He raised his shot glass. "Here's to truth."

"To truth." Emma repeated, swallowing the shot.

"So tell me." Derek began. "What happened between you and Jess?"

Emma breathed in the still air, before blowing out slowly.

"A truth for a truth." He reminded her, pouring another shot.

"She blames me for ruining her life." Emma finally answered.

"Well did you?" Derek found himself asking.

Emma paused, thinking about all the things they had been through in the Underworld. "…yes."

* * *

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Review/Favorite/Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


	12. Water Under the Bridge

**A/N: Hey everyone! Back with another chapter! But I must tell you that I added another scene to the end of chapter 11 between Emma and Killian. It wasn't originally part of it when I posted it, so pardon the confusion. I wanted to give fair warning before you dove into this chapter. If you missed the scene, go back and read it. Thanks a million for all the support and reviews! Over 8k! WOOT WOOT!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time**

 **Apologies for any errors.**

 **ChapterXII: Water Under the Bridge.**

* * *

 _ **If you're gonna let me down, let me down gently**_

 _ **Don't pretend that you don't want me**_

 _ **Our love ain't water under the bridge…..-Adele**_

* * *

"Good morning lass." Derek greeted as he leaned against the yellow bug, extending a coffee to her.

They were on day two of their civil meet and greet and so far, it was pure torture. It tore her heart, the accustomed moods that arose by just being in his presence. Emma had to literally stop herself from calling him Killian, every time he did something familiar.

"So far, at least." Emma answered. "You could have stayed in the spare bedroom, ya know."

Derek lifted a shoulder. "I'm not one to intrude. Besides, Granny's Inn is quite charming." Besides, the house was a dead-end. He'd checked every nook and cranny before heading to the diner. Nothing showed up.

"If by charming, you mean old with paper thin walls, then yeah." Emma chuckled. Silenced stretched between them as they walked absently towards the harbor.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked suddenly.

Emma stared at him, a bit puzzled. "Yellow, why?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were still capable of telling the truth." Derek told her. He chuckled a bit when she rolled her eyes.

Truth is, he wanted to re-test the vial that Facilier had given him. True enough, he was immune to chloroform, but as a side effect, he could also tell when she was lying-Something that would have been useful in New York.

"So…"He trailed.

"So…" Emma echoed taking sip of her coffee.

"You gonna give me the story behind the scar?" He asked indicating to her pinky as she took a sip of coffee.

"That's two questions. The deal is for one." She reminded him. He grabbed her hand, stroking it gently with his thumb.

"Humor me." He coaxed softly.

Emma bit her lip, remembering the flashback.

* * *

 _It was a quiet night. Killian had arranged for them to have a real second date, now that all the chaos from the Snow Queen and Gold were settled._

 _They had taken the Jolly Roger a few miles from port, having a quiet dinner under the stars. She sat between his lap as they conversed about everything, nothing. It was perfect._

" _And that's Ursula major…" Killian pointed to the sky. "Always appearing due west…towards Storybrooke."_

" _How do you know so much?" Emma asked him with a smirk. As untimely as he was in this world, the most elusive things, he caught onto. That's why it was impossible to ignore him._

" _300 years does give me some advantages, but I don't know everything." Killian said bashfully. "Like I still don't understand that blasted Star Tracking."_

" _It's Star Trek, and for all you've seen, "beam me up scotty" is the thing that puzzles you?" She laughed._

" _Not as much as this." Killian lifted her hand gently. "There's a scar on the outside of your right hand. I've been in enough scuffles to know a broken bone."_

 _Emma stared at their intertwined hands, her walls slowly creeping up. Her hand trembled slightly as she took a sip of rum._

" _Hey," Killian called, forcing her to make eye contact. He smiled, joining their heads together. "Don't disappear on me. I'm right here."_

 _They sat in silence for a moment. Killian waited patiently, but decided not to pry. He'd learned by now that if Emma had her secrets, they were for a reason. He could respect that._

" _My last foster parents were cruel." She finally spoke. "They would lock me in the trunk of a car for two days when I broke a dish. Back then, I wasn't the most graceful child."_

" _Damn…" He muttered, wanting to bury his hook in their chests._

" _They warned me it would happen, but the water was so hot, and the soap was so slippery. I still don't think it was fair, even though they gave me fair warning." She recalled, her voice cracking from tears. "The water was so hot!"_

 _Killian took out a handkerchief from his vest, handing it to her. "Go on." He encouraged, rubbing small circles around her back._

" _The last time it happened, I tried to fight him off. But he was stronger. Crushed my hand when he slammed the trunk. After that, I ran away." Emma finished, bring her gaze to meet his._

" _I'm sorry about that luv. Truly." He apologized, kissing her temple._

" _Water under the bridge." She shrugged, trying to compose herself, getting back to neutral._

" _One of the few references I understand." Killian told her with a smile. Emma tried to smile, but it didn't take._

 _Not wanting an ugly memory to ruin the evening, Killian pulled her up to her feet. "Come on, I want to show you something."_

 _Emma raised a brow, but followed silently._

 _He led her below deck, to the captain's quarters. Emma paused, about to give him a peace of her mind. Killian laughed. "Relax luv. I'd love nothing more than to pillage and plunder, but I don't think you could handle it."_

 _Emma laughed, relaxing. "I think it's you that couldn't handle it."_

" _We'll see." Killian challenged hoarsely, kissing her neck softly. Turning back to his dresser, he pulled out a pocket watch._

" _This watch used to keep perfect time when I was in the navy. Crafted by the best artisan in the kingdom, straight from his majesty, pure gold."_

 _Emma took it in her hand, regarding as if it were lost treasure. She'd never seen a clock quite like this one. It must have been a naval watch, because of its coordinates. There was a diamond at the head that indicated north._

" _This is pretty rare." She remarked, handing it back to him._

" _It was the only novelty I kept as a pirate. Belonged to my brother." Killian told her, examining the watch. "You could set your heart by this watch."_

" _Could?" Emma wondered aloud. "It doesn't work anymore?"_

" _Aye. It stopped working October 28_ _th_ _, 2012…" He said, putting it back on the dresser._

" _What happened on October 28_ _th_ _?" She asked, trying to recall the day._

" _It's the day we met." Killian smirked, pulling her close. Emma blushed, as he appeared to be staring straight through to her soul._

" _I've been chasing you ever since." He admitted sincerely._

" _I'm glad you did." She whispered, pulling him into a tender kiss._

* * *

"I broke it, a long time ago. Water under the bridge." Was all she could muster.

Derek was a bit annoyed that she didn't elaborate, but at least it was the truth. "Fair enough."

"There's a ball being held tomorrow night, to honor the service of our town leaders." Emma said, changing the subject.

She had asked Snow to play the role of Sheriff with David, and Regina to resume as Madam Mayor, to cut down on confusion. The last thing she needed, was for him to realize she was a cop.

 _How ironic, given that she's a town leader…'_ Derek thought, a constant reminder of what was at stake. Her bounty, or his freedom.

"Do I look like a suit and tie guy?" He retorted full of sarcasm.

"You know what, forget I asked..." She retracted, having enough of the snide remarks. If it had been any other guy, they'd be talking to her fist.

Emma turned to walk away, but decided to tell him off instead. "And for the record- I didn't lie about being a drifter. I was an orphan up until my 28th birthday when I found my birth parents." She walked away, leaving him speechless.

Derek exhaled, knowing he was being a bastard. And there was no way he was leaving the town without first getting that medallion. "Wait." He called. He jogged to catch up with her when she didn't stop walking.

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "I guess I'm just not use to…this."

Emma crossed her arms. "By this, you mean…"

"A beautiful woman wanting nothing but the pleasure of my company." Derek admitted. "In New York, people wanted me for what I could do for them. Jess was no exception."

"I get it." Emma told him, because she did. Before Killian, she had felt utterly alone. No one had understood her needs. The need to just be…loved.

"So is it really a suit and tie event?" He asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Close. It's a cos-play masquerade." She cringed a bit.

It wasn't really cos-play, but people from the enchanted forest considered high fashion as big gowns, lineage suites, and unbearable corsets.

"You expect me to dress up in a costume and go to a ball…" Derek repeated. Could this town get any more strange?

"It's the Mayoral Ball. Lots of hoity toity stuff, but bearable if Leroy dips into the liquor early." She shrugged, containing a bit of a laugh.

"Fine." Derek conceded with a bit of an attitude. He had no plans for dancing. But if the ball was being held at the mansion, he could certainly give the mayor's office a try. Facilier confirmed that it was the next logical place.

"You're so big on questions, now I have two for you." Emma said, pausing from her walk. Derek met her steady gaze, trying not to get lost in her big green eyes.

"Two?" He swallowed. Emma nodded. "One for this morning, and last night. I answered your question, but I didn't ask one."

"It's only fair." Derek sighed. "Go ahead."

"How did you meet M-…Jess?" She quickly corrected.

Derek smirked. "No need to be jealous luv."

"Believe me, I'm not." Emma snorted. "Now answer the question."

"Well, I was pulling a job at a bank. One of my partners, tripped the silent alarm. He ran off north, I headed south. And that was obviously the wrong direction because the cops were closing in on me. Then she appeared, in an unmarked van, as if by magic." He recalled, before lifting a shoulder. "We were together ever since…since..."

"Me." Emma finished. She knew she had no reason to feel guilty but she did. Were her and Milah so different? Willing to fight like hell for love, only to come up short.

"Question number two." Derek encouraged not wanting to think about Jess. "before I lose my nerve."

"Ok. Why did you save my life in New York?" she asked in a hushed tone. More than anything, she wanted to know that she wasn't imagining it. That _Hook_ was still in there somewhere.

Derek tried to think up some sort of sly remark, but fell short.

"A truth for a truth." Emma reminded him.

"I did want to see you die…I don't think I ever could." Was his reply. And it was the truth. He chose not to elaborate on the gut wrenching need to protect her from harm. He hadn't known her then, and barely knew her now!

Emma felt her pound inside her chest, louder than a ceremonial drum. There it was. A glimpse of the man she remembered.

Derek laughed a bit uncomfortably at her unwavering stare. "What?"

"Oh, nothing!" Emma blinked back into reality. "I just…owe someone an apology."

Footsteps could be heard approaching. Emma turned in time to see Henry coming towards them.

"Morning kid." She greeted, hoping he'd catch on. Everyone made a pact to stop lying to Henry about the current events. He was 13 now, and the author.

"Morning Leia, new guy." Henry greeted casually.

Derek gave a nod of recognition.

"Mom wanted to let you know that she needs to meet her ASAP. She said you weren't answering your phone." Henry told her.

Emma groaned, taking it out of her back pocket. Sure enough, she had two texts from Regina.

 _We have a problem._

 _Meet me at the Mansion._

"Thanks for the heads up." She told him. "You better go; you're going to be late for school."

"It's alright. I'm pretty tight with my biology teacher." Henry winked. "Lunch at Granny's?"

"You got it." Emma smiled, happy to have a date with her favorite person. Henry always made her days easier, and less chaotic. She had missed him like crazy back in New York, and could use a little adolescent distraction.

* * *

Derek watched Henry run off towards the school bus. "The lad seems quite taken with you. You're, how did he say it…tight?"

Emma laughed at Derek's attempt at using slang. "Yeah, we're pretty tight, our DNA matches."

"He's your brother?" he asked, given what she said about recently finding her birth parents.

"Son." She revealed. When he didn't speak, she asked, "Surprised?"

"That you have a child, yes," He said truthfully. "You don't seem like the mothering type."

For some reason, that angered her profusely. Who the hell was he to judge what kind of mother she could be? "And why is that?" she snapped, crossing her arms.

"Because I find it very hard to believe you'd let down your walls long enough to conceive one." He retorted with a smirk.

Emma felt pain sear through her. Not because of his words, but because they were true. She had fallen in love with Neal, and the minute she did, he abandoned her with a baby and a prison sentence. And in turn, she abandoned Henry for fear of being a failure. She had never been a real mother to him, not the way Regina had.

"You're right." Emma lifted a shoulder with a false smile. Thinking of Neal only brought back more painful memories. "Who could love someone like that?"

At seeing unshed tears cloud her eyes, Derek cursed. "That was out of line."

Why was he acting like this? It was like something was preventing him from making a real connection. It's not like he wanted to be an ass…he just, was. When he wanted to compliment her, it came out as a joke. When he wanted to hold her hand, he always put a shot or coffee in it. And when he wanted to kiss her…he hurt her feelings.

"It doesn't matter anyway. His father's dead." Emma said clearing her throat. "I gotta go see what Madam Mayor Wants."

"Leia…" Derek called, but she held up a hand. "Water under the bridge." She dismissed, and walked off.

Derek blew out a breath. He needed to find that medallion and quick, before he did something he'd regret.

* * *

Emma arrived at the Mayor's Mansion to find Gold standing in the foyer with Regina.

"A word Ms. Swan?" he asked.

When Regina looked in her direction, she frowned. "What the hell is going on?"

Regina blew out a breath. "We have a problem."

"Indeed. I was just telling Regina, our attempts to keep that threat out of Storybrooke failed." Gold told her.

"Why? Who's here?" Emma asked.

"The Shadow Man." Gold announced grimly.

"Seriously? The thing under the bed is real?" She said crossing her arms.

Regina rolled her eyes. "That's the boogeyman, and no- the shadow man is quite real, and quite dangerous."

Emma huffed. She was not in the mood for anything right now. Lifting a hand of submission she told them, "Okay, humor me."

"The Shadow Man is a voodoo witch doctor, who specializes in sending souls to the underworld for Hades. In turn, Hades provides him with power to disillusion, manipulate, and kill any victim with a shadow."

"Sounds like another dark one to me." Emma mumbled, looking pointedly at Gold.

"I assure you, our power is quite different. As he so ungracefully pointed out," He continued with a snarl, "my power is tethered to a dagger-it can be controlled. His, however cannot be."

"Why?" Regina asked. "All dark power has a source."

"But that's the thing, it's not dark-it's black." Gold revealed.

"Dark, and black aren't the same?" Emma questioned, hoping not to sound like an idiot. God, she should really do more studying.

"Black magic used to be harmless superstitions and liquored cocktails until the Shadow Man appeared. He used his own blood, and the power of Hades to create a force that can steal a person's soul."

"Fine." Emma sighed. "Let's find out what it's doing here and get it the hell out."

"I think I know half of that riddle." Gold reported. "I saw him talking with your pirate. So whatever it is, has something to do with…you." He pointed.

"Of course it does…" She groaned. Meg said Hades played with a loaded deck and didn't like to lose. She couldn't be as naïve to think that things would be over once she came back to Storybrooke. She was never that fortunate.

"Whatever the Shadow Man wants, he won't get." Regina assured coldly.

"Unless of course, he already has it." Gold implied.

"I gotta find Hook." Emma sprinted to the front door.

"Emma wait!" Regina called, but she was already outside. Turning to Gold, she asked. "Are you sure it was Killian?"

"As much history as we have, I'm not likely to forget his face." Gold assured. "He's not to be trusted-be on your guard." And then he vanished in a mist of red smoke.

Regina ran out the house, to see Emma already in her car. "Hey. I didn't want to say anything in front of Gold but…are you alright?"

"I'm fine, why?" Emma asked calmly.

"Well, your eyes are pink, and your mascara is starting to run." Regina assessed, studying her face. Had Emma been…crying? "What happened."

Emma shook her head. "Noth-"

"Don't make me yank it out of your chest!" Regina snapped a bit. "What happened."

With a sigh, Emma rested her head against the seat. "Every time I look in his eyes, I see Killian. The way he moves, the way he acts…but when he opens his mouth…"

Shaking it off, she put on her seat belt. "Doesn't matter. We need to find Hook and find out what the hell the Shadow Man wants with him, before it's too late."

"Do you need a locator spell?" Regina asked. Finding a person who didn't want to be found may take some time.

"No, I know where to look." Emma dismissed, and started her engine. Regina watched her pull off the road, and a new fury settled inside of her.

* * *

After searching all morning, Emma crashed at Granny's. No one had seen Killian since they had met this morning. She'd checked the Rabbit Hole, the woods, the docks, nothing.

"Hey Leia."

Emma smirked, as Henry slid in the booth. "Relax kid, Hook isn't here. I'm beginning to think he never was."

"Don't be so hard on him." Henry defended. "He has been dead, brought back to life, and had all his memories erased."

"True," She nodded. "But sometimes, sometimes when a person's soul has been through too much, it changes and adapts, in order to survive."

"You think Hook's soul has changed?" He asked, sipping his hot coco that Granny brought over.

"Maybe? I don't know." Emma shrugged. "It's really hard to get a read on him."

"Well, don't give up. Operation Cerberus is still in effect." Henry smiled encouragingly.

"Thanks Kid." Emma smirked. Thinking about her meeting with Gold and Regina, she lowered her voice and said. "Hey, there's a new threat in town. We don't know what it is, or what it wants. So, until it's found…"

"I'm on lock-down." Henry finished with an eye-roll.

Emma raised a hand. "I was going to say, be on your guard. If you're going out with Violet, let me and Regina know."

Henry relaxed a bit. "I promise."

"Here." Emma waved her hand, and a plain silver band appeared on his wrist.

Henry examined the bracelet that held the symbol of swan underneath a crown. "Cool. What does it do."

"Me and Regina created it. It can sense when danger is near.. It's also infused with just enough magic to protect you."

Henry never took his eyes off the bracelet. "Mom, this is the coolest thing you guys have ever given me."

"Henry." Emma called his name, to get attention. "If there is trouble, your first priority is to get you and Violet to safety. Don't play hero- the bracelet doesn't work like that."

"I wouldn't risk Violet's life like that." Henry assured. Emma smiled. "Yeah, well you're a pretty great guy."

"So is Hook." Henry countered.

"He was…." Emma corrected sadly.

They changed subjects, talking about New York, and missing the pizza. It turned out to be a decent afternoon. Enough to make Emma forget about the Shadow Man, and medallions…and the gaping hole in her heart.

* * *

Derek found himself in a hell of a place. It appeared to be a…dungeon?

He had decided to Leia's to and search for the medallion. Before, he had been so blindly determined to find a safe; he hadn't seen what was staring him in the face the entire time.

A random door appeared in the middle of the house-that led to a spiraling staircase. But now, he was wondering if the door had been there the whole time. It must have been. There was no way he had over looked it before.

He checked around the corners, but it seemed empty. An old sword lie on the graveled dark stones. To his right, he saw chains on the floor. "What kind of kinky stuff are you into Blondie?" he muttered.

There were bottles of liquids, and many books lying around. "What the hell…is she some kind of witch?" He asked aloud. He'd seen some pretty weird shit in New York, including the common false psychic with a crystal ball. Maybe she believed in all that crap.

There were bottles of liquids, and many books lying around. "What the hell…is she some kind of witch?" He asked aloud. He'd seen some pretty weird shit in New York, including the common false psychic with a cystal ball. Maybe she believed in all that crap.

Without further delay, he began his search. Most things didn't make sense to him. Things like chalices, a pink rose, a few dream catchers, but something shiny caught his eye. He turned to his left to see a piece of something sticking out from underneath the books.

He moved some papers around, and there it was. The medallion. It was solid gold, with the symbol of a lightning bolt on it. "Lightning never strikes in the same place twice." He told himself as he picked it up.

Reaching in his pocket, he grabbed his cell phone-which had miraculously made the journey here. "Facilier, its Norrington…I got the medallion."

Emma pulled up to her house to see Derek walking down the steps. She leaned against her car as he approached.

"Leia, I was just coming by to apologize for earlier." Derek said sincerely. "I didn't mean to imply that…"

"Yes you did." She cut him off. "But it's over. The thanks I get for saving your life."

"I didn't ask to be saved!" Derek snapped.

"Neither did I!" She hollered back.

Running a hand through his hair, Derek exhaled. "This will never work…you can see that right?"

"I'm starting to." Emma put her hands in her back pockets. "See ya around, Norrington."

"Not likely." He mumbled, walking off towards town.

Emma glanced back at her house suspiciously, before glaring back in Derek's direction. She had a feeling she was overlooking something, but what? Her house was magically protected. So unless Derek had become a wizard in the past two days, she was paranoid.

* * *

Derek exited the Rabbit Hole, sipping on his flask of rum. His mind had stayed on Leia, and Doctor Facilier. Soon he would have his freedom…but he found himself wondering if he even wanted it.

"Good Evening Mr. Norrington."

"Holy hell!" Derek gasped, as the woman appeared behind him. "Christ sakes lass, next time wear a bell!"

Regina raised a brow, but ignored the cat reference. "I'm Miss Mills, the Mayor."

"I take it, you're enjoying our charming little town." She assumed politely.

"It's seems to have lose its charm, after an hour." Derek slurred a bit.

"Is there nothing of this town that appeals to your heart?" Regina crossed her arms expectantly. It was just sad- this pathetic drunk was a far cry from the man Guyliner used to be. He was rude, selfish, and indecisive. Hades went all out.

"Nothing memorable outside the cheese sticks at Granny's." He replied with a bored expression. "But I'm sure I can find better."

"Well maybe you should, for everyone's sake." She suggested with a frown.

"Excuse me?" Derek scoffed in slight surprised. Was there a caveat in her tone?

"Do not pretend to be coy or stupid Norrington-you can afford neither in my presence." Regina snapped.

"Ah, Leia." Derek sighed. "Well quite frankly, I don't see how it's any of your damn bus-"

"Everything in this town is my business!" Regina snapped regally. "Including Leia's feelings. So here's a bit advice- if you don't plan on loving her, then don't accept her heart."

"I don't love her!" he snapped. Did he? That was the question that had been plaguing his brain through two bottles of rum. There was no way possible-he didn't even know her!

"Good." Regina smirked. "Because if you hurt her, I will make that prison cell in New York feel like a summer home, compared to how deep I will bury you."

Derek didn't back down as he saw the venom in her eyes, but he did feel a slight chill go down his spine. "Is that a threat Madam Mayor?" he growled.

"It's a promise Mr. Norrington. You have no idea how much pull I have to destroy you." She said in a hushed evil tone.

"Well then," He said nonchalantly. "Give Leia my regards."

"Will do." Regina nodded, and watched him disappear into the fog.

* * *

 _ **Say it ain't so, say it ain't so….Say that our love ain't water under the bridge...-Adele.**_

* * *

 **A/N; I thought this chapter was very interesting. I wanted to show just how much Emma was loved and supported by her family. I was listening to Adele while writing this chapter. I'm so excited about chapter 13! Hope you enjoyed it. Trivia. October 28th is the original air-date of the episode where Hook and Emma meet.**

 **Review/Follow/Favorite-me!**

 **-R.**


	13. So Close

**A/N: Back another chapter! I took my time with this chapter to build suspense. Now that we're towards the end, I just wanted to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. I never thought this story would be as popular as it is. Over 10,000 views in just 12 chapters is a little over 833 views a chapter. Which is severely cool!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time**

 **Apologies for any mistakes.**

 **Chapter XIII: So Close**

* * *

"You did _what?!_ " Snow asked, in utter disbelief. She'd almost choked on her morning cocoa.

"I merely suggested that if he insisted on treating Emma like shit, he should leave." Regina told her defensively. "I was protecting her!"

Snow turned desperately to her husband. David rolled his eyes heavenward, grabbing his jacket. "I'll go find him."

She didn't speak again until the door closed. "You know if he leaves, he won't be able to come back!"

"And then Emma will have to accept it and move on." Regina countered. "We have been cheering her on with the hope speech, but what if Killian can't be brought back because Derek isn't worthy of her?"

Snow backed off a bit, mulling it over in her head.

Derek Norrington was a criminal who prided himself on non-commitment and a silver tongue. He didn't have any real friends, no alliances, and the lies Hades have put in his head run deep. He doesn't have any hope, and quite frankly doesn't want any. And if it's one thing Emma desperately needs-its hope.

"So what's the plan?" Snow exhaled, leaning in a new direction.

"We try to heal Emma's heart." Regina suggested. It was deceitful, but she was making the tough choices she knew Emma couldn't.

"And how do we do that?" Snow asked. "I'm pretty sure sending her true love over the town line will have the exact opposite effect."

"Instead of trying to restore Derek's memories, we're going to take all of Emma's memories of Killian." Regina explained solemnly.

"Like the dream catchers..." Snow whispered. "but, she'll never have known him at all!"

Regina raised a finger, turning to the book. "Not necessarily. The medallion can be used to erase memories, and afflictions. We can still leave her with the memories of their friendship, but the memories tied to her love for him will be gone..."

"And then she can move on." Snow finished. With a nod she agreed. "Let's do it."

* * *

Derek glanced down at his papers; the new driver's license was impeccable. Doctor Facilier had a true gift for deception.

Riding in the red mustang he was kidnapped in, he thought about Leia. He knew this was the right thing. He was a criminal, with no past, and no future. She deserved to be in this cookie-cutter town, with some prince charming.

A familiar flash of red in blue caught his attention in the rear view mirror. "Bloody hell." He grumbled.

The cop siren went off as a warning. He pulled on to the side of the road, as the sheriff got out of the car.

"Out of the car please." David said automatically, and waited until Derek. complied. He was silently thanking God that he'd reached him in time. The town line was only a few miles up the road.

"Look, if you're here on behalf of the Mayor, you don't have to worry, I was just leaving." Derek sighed stepping out of the mustang.

David rolled his eyes, with a smile. "Re-The Mayor can be a bit aggressive."

"Aggressive?!" Derek cut him a wide eyed scowl. "The woman is a rabid pit bull!"

"Well she has good reason." David countered, crossing his arms.

Derek sighed. "Another reason I'm leaving. This town is entirely too damn small."

"I didn't pull you over to make sure you left town," David told him. "I came to make sure you know what you're doing."

"I don't even know what I'm _doing_ here!" Derek confessed. " _Other_ than awaiting transport."

David blew out a breath. So he did know that Emma was a cop. "I know it's difficult to process now, but you were brought here for a second chance."

"What makes you think I deserve one mate?" Derek asked, then muttered "Least of all with her."

David shrugged. "I don't, but Leia does. And her wishes are very close to my heart. Which the only reason you're _not_ being transported to New York."

Derek stared at him carefully. He and Leia were the same age, he was a handsome guy, strong build. "You an ex-lover?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm her fa…"David stalled for a moment, trying think quick on his feet. "I'm family."

Sensing the sincerity in his words, Derek nodded. "Big brother…well you don't have to worry about me mate. I'm not going to be making any headway with her."

"Why?" David found himself asking.

"Can love survive two lying, murdering individuals with hidden agendas and even darker mysterious pasts?" Derek asked the rhetorical question, out loud. It was almost comical, how screwed up they would be together.

 _But she might be worth it…_ He found his subconscious answering.

"True love isn't easy." David admitted. "But it _must_ be fought for. Because once you find it, you know you can't live without it."

Derek raised a brow. "Spoken like a true married man." He snorted.

David lifted a shoulder. "I am. Don't regret a minute of it." Leaning off of the yellow beetle, he said, "If you're leaving, I won't try and stop you. There's a diner a few miles up the road with gas station for you to fill up."

Derek was stunned. "That's it? No 24 hour holding, fighting me?"

"Not my fight." David called back without looking. "Best of Luck."

* * *

"He's gone." David announced as he came back to the apartment. Snow fought back tears. "God, sometimes I feel like our family really is cursed."

"Snow, you don't mean that." He pulled up a bar stool next to her.

"Don't I?" Snow scoffed. "I mean, look at us! Both of our children have had traumatic childhoods, love seems to keep slipping from Emma…and now I'm resorting to taking her memories, just so she won't feel any pain."

"What?" David stood. This was not his wife talking. Snow was the epitome of hope. And if she was giving up…he didn't know how long he'd last. "Snow, what did you do?"

"Nothing yet." Snow assured tiredly. "Regina had the idea to use the medallion to wipe away Emma's memories of her love for Hook."

"You cannot be serious." David frowned. "She needs her pain Snow! It's a part of who she is!"

"I'm tired of seeing my daughter hurt!" Snow trembled. David nodded. "So am I. But do you think taking her love of Hook away will fix things? She'll never love again."

"It's alright." Emma said as she walked in. "I'm not going to need it."

She went straight for the cupboard, taking out her favorite mug. "Taking away my love isn't such a bad idea, although, a heads up would have been nice." She gave her mother a pointed stare.

David walked up to his daughter. "Don't do this Emma. If your heart can break, it can heel. You just have to give it time."

"Relax Dad. Regina told me without harnessing the power of the medallion, it's just a theory." She assured him while making cocoa. "Besides…Derek is gone."

"How do you know?" Snow asked, darting her eyes to David.

"The red mustang is gone. I woke up this morning and it wasn't parked outside my house." She told them. Not that she had expected Derek to stay. He'd made it very clear that he felt nothing for her…but she _hoped_ Killian had. _He's gone._ She scolded. _Time to move on…_

Seeing her parents worried exchange she gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me. We all knew this was a long shot, right?" she took a sip of her cocoa. "And besides, Hades was right. Having him alive and a stranger is better than not having him at all."

* * *

Regina placed the last remaining decorations for the ball tonight. Henry stood by, admiring the scenery. "It's beautiful." He said quietly.

She glanced around, seeing much black and white, with dashes of red roses sprinkled about. A grand chandelier hanging in the center. "Well, magic does have its perks."

"So does all this fade by midnight?" He asked, checking out the glass unicorns.

"I hope not." Robin commented as he entered the room. "Regina…this place is amazing."

Regina smiled as he took her into his arms. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to impress me." He whispered, kissing her cheek.

She was, but he didn't need to know that. "Dream on, bandit." She chuckled pushing him off playfully.

Robin pretended to be wounded. "I shall hope for such an occasion. Now, I've come to take henry for his lesson."

"Am I learning the sword today?" Henry asked. "I'm already pretty good at sailing." And damn if he didn't miss doing it. He went to the Jolly Roger on days when he wanted to be alone, wishing Killian was there to talk to.

"No." Robin laughed. "If you want to learn how to use a sword, you ask David. If you want to learn how to track, you go to Snow. But if you want to learn how to use a bow…"

"I ask Merida!" Henry finished. Robin saddened a bit. "Me…I was going to say me…but Merida's pretty good, if aggressive accuracy is your thing."

Henry smirked. "I'm sure the famous bandit has a few tricks as well."

"Indeed." Robin winked. Regina turned slightly with a frown. "Keep my son away from Will Scarlett. If it's all the same to you, I wouldn't like Henry to have a fully juvie record by his 16th birthday."

"Hold on a second. Will watches Roland all the time." Robin reminded her. Regina raised a brow. "Remember last week when he stole his play mate's cookies?"

"Right.." Robin recalled with a sheepish grin. "I'll talk to Will. Come on Henry."

Henry waved goodbye to his mother and Regina watched as they left. Her cellphone rang not too soon after.

" _Hey." Emma greeted. "Just wanted to say, I don't think I'm going to make it tonight."_

"You're the savior, and the guest of honor." Regina huffed. "You have to be there!"

" _What's the point?" Emma asked. "I can save everyone except the one I love? There's nothing to celebrate. Besides, I need to be on the lookout for the Shadow Man."_

"And what better way to do that then at the ball?" Regina reasoned. "The whole town will be there, and we need all the allies we can get. Even Gold suspects he'll show up tonight."

"… _Well when you put it that way…." Emma trailed._

"Be there. It's not a request Miss Swan." Regina directed, closing her phone. She checked around the room once more, praying like hell nothing went wrong tonight.

* * *

The ball was a spectacular event. The Royal family all dressed in some form of red to show unity. Regina chose to wear a lovely maroon mermaid gown, her crown, and sparkling diamonds.

Charming wore an all-white, royally decorated suite, with the honorary red sash across his chest with gold trimmings, while snow had a sparkling ball gown with a gorgeous train. They were all surprised to see henry arrive wearing a prince's attire, and blue sash. No doubt given by Regina.

Regina played a gracious host, showing her all too rare fun side. She and Robin laughed as they took shots, snickering at Leroy who was getting drunker by the hour.

Everyone was having a marvelous time. Everyone that is, except the guest of honor. Emma had showed up to the ball, receiving many compliments on her beauty and many thanks for saving the town.

She'd allow her mother to do her hair, in an intricate goddess braid, forming a golden halo on her head. Snow had given her a tiara that was her first. It delicately in her head, as lace weaved in out of her hair. Her dress was a flowing backless goddess gown, that made her appear to be floating as she walked. The only red she wore was her lipstick.

"Emma, you haven't danced all night." Snow said as she approached. Emma kept a watchful eye out. "I'm only hear to be ready for the Shadow Man."

"If you just stand here, looking for the next fight, you're going to miss out on something wonderful." Snow said sweetly. She nodded towards Henry, who was dancing with Violet.

Emma felt herself smiling, watching her son try not to stumble with the complicated dance. He and violet shared a smile, and she couldn't watch anymore. "Mom, I think Dad wants to dance with you."

Snow turned to see David with his hand outstretched. "It's been far too long, darling."

"Yes it has." She replied dreamily. Emma couldn't help but laugh as her father waltzed her mother away on a cloud.

She remembered her first dance at King Midas' castle. It was the most magical night of her life. _And it will never be like that again…_ she thought miserably.

"And here I thought, you'd at least pretend to enjoy yourself. " Regina complained.

Emma smirked, changing the subject. "I see Robin has some pretty smooth moves on the dance floor."

"Yes, well…" Regina blushed, not wanting to elaborate. She had been sneaking glances at Emma all night to see her either reserved or playing stake-out.

"You should have a little more faith." She told the savior. "Who knows? I learned to love again, so can you."

"If only I had a quarter..." Emma shook her head. "I'm done learning Besides, the author was right."

"About what?" Regina asked.

"You can't write your own happy ending." Emma whispered.

"Emma, your prince is out there." Regina promised, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And it won't be some dirty criminal."

"I bathe quite frequently, thank you."

Emma's eyes grew big as they both turned to see Derek, standing behind them in a navy blue uniform, a sword at his side.

"Your son said this would be appropriate." Derek waved a hand to his decorated naval uniform. It obviously had belonged to Killian.

Regina cut an approving smirk towards Derek. "And here I thought you'd leave quietly without a fight."

"A man unwilling to fight for what he wants deserves what he gets." Derek said, raising a challenging brow to her. When Regina merely nodded, he knew he had earned her respect.

Regina walked away back into the crowd, but not before telling Emma, "You owe me a quarter."

Emma didn't have time to comment about the quarter reference as she soaked in the sight of Derek standing there, looking very handsome in Killian's clothes. "I thought you were-"

"I was." Derek confirmed.

"But you came back." She concluded.

He nodded. She just gazed into his eyes, wondering. "Why?"

"I had to see you again, even if it's just to say goodbye." He admitted.

"Emma Swan." She told him.

"Who's that?" Derek asked quietly. He had gotten so lost in her eyes, soaking in how gorgeous she was, mentally kicking himself on how he'd almost missed it.

"My name. It's Emma Swan." She said quietly. "I should have told you from the beginning, but I was just scared. And the thing is…I'm not so scared anymore. You know what I mean?"

He smiled. "I'm starting to."

"It's that time of evening folks." Doctor Hopper announced. "I would like to introduce the final dance of the evening-the King and Queen's waltz."

"Well, Miss Swan," Derek held out inviting hand, accompanied by devilishly handsome grin. "May I have the pleasure?"

Emma saw a glimpse of the man she used to know. Killian was standing before her, and she could resist a smile as she took his hand, allowing him to guide her on the dance floor. The lights dimmed into a romantic glow as the music flowed.

 ** _(_ _You're in my arms_ _,_ _and all the world is calm_ _…_ _The music playing on for only two…)_**

They began to waltz around the room, everyone fading into a blur around them. Their eyes never left each other as he spun her around, creating a wonderful spectacle.

Derek had stolen her breath in one elaborate spin, her back now to his chest as he let the music enchant them both. Emma smiled, knowing that they had captured everyone's attention as he guided her around the ball room with flourish.

Snow and David watched as their daughter danced gracefully around the room. Snow wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh Charming…Look at her!"

"I know." He finished, watching her spin away from Derek, only to end up back in his arms. All the balls they would have thrown in the enchanted forest, all the parties Emma would have attended…he wouldn't trade that life for a moment of missing this.

 ** _(So close to reaching that famous happy end._ _Almost believing this was not pretend_ _…_ _And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_ _…)_**

Henry watched in pure joy as his mother danced closely with Killian. When Derek showed up asking for help, he'd been all too eager to surprise her at the ball.

 _Yes!_ He thought to himself. _Operation light swan accomplished!_

Something warm encircled his wrist. Henry looked down curiously to see the bracelet glowing blue. "Oh no!" he breathed, trying to find Regina.

He saw Emma kissing Derek and he ran through the crowd. Something was here-something bad. "MOM!" he shouted, but it was too late.

* * *

"I know this thing between us was probably, doomed since the beginning." Derek said as they slowed. "But the thing is, I'm willing to try if you are."

"So, we just start all over?" Emma said as he stepped away from her, drawing her close again.

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm Derek Norrington."

She smiled brightly. She definitely owed Regina a quarter. "Nice to you Derek. I'm…"

"Stunning." He finished, spinning her around once more. As the final notes played the crowd cheered, praising the band.

Derek pulled her close to him, gazing into her eyes. "Emma, I…" his words were lost to him.

Emma placed a finger on his lips, before bringing her mouth to his. Derek returned the sentiment eagerly, engaging in the most passionate kiss he'd ever felt. There was a soft glow that warmed his chest, and a fever that struck his body aflame.

 _So this is love._ He thought, cradling Emma's head in his hands. When they broke apart, he saw tears in her eyes, her smile a mile long.

" _Mom!"_ The sound of Henry's voice in the distance, but Emma didn't have time to turn around. Something was happening.

Derek watched in horror as Emma's eyes grew big, and a sharp pain ripped through her. She put her hands on his chest, before they began to shake. Her eyes rolled back, and she began to fall. He caught her as she collapsed in his arms.

"EMMA!" Derek called, but she was unresponsive, her skin beginning to pale. Henry knelled by their side, taking his mother's hand in his. "We need help!"

Regina rushed over, seeing that Emma was unconscious. "What the hell happened!"

"I'm…I'm not sure." He answered, cradling Emma's head in his hands.

"You son of a bitch!" She growled. Snow and David ran to them, alarmed to see Emma on the floor.

"Emma!" David called, bending low. "What the hell?!"

"Ask him!" Regina retorted, nodded towards Derek.

"Regina, calm down." Robin soothed, placing a hand on her back.

"NO!" She snapped, glaring at Derek. "Don't tell me to be calm; she's lying half dead on the floor!"

"I didn't do anything!" Derek barked.

Gold parted the crowd, running a hand over Emma's body. "She's alive…barely." He examined carefully. "Something's draining the life out of her."

"Derek, what happened?" Snow pleaded.

"I just…kissed her." Derek admitted, slightly dazed.

"It's the Shadow Man." Gold assessed. "He's using him as a conduit."

"But how is that even possible?" Snow asked. "He doesn't even have magic?"

David glared at Derek. "Unless the Shadow Man gave him some."

Derek frowned. "Who the hell is the shadow man and what are you all blabbering on about when Emma clearly needs a hospital!"

"Derek, we need you to think." Robin said. "Is there anything you drank in this town, aside from the liquor?"

Derek thought back for moment…shit. "A man named Doctor Facilier, gave me a vial. It was just supposed to make me immune to chloroform so I couldn't be drugged again."

Gold raised a brow. "And you were stupid enough to believe that?"

Derek's eyes darkened at the insult. "Hey, little man. It worked. Now how do we save Emma?"

"I'm afraid you cant."

Everyone turned to a figure emerge from the shadows. Derek growled. He wanted to blow the man's brains out all over the ballroom floor. "Facilier."

David took a step forward, blocking him from Emma's body. "What do you want with our daughter?!"

Facilier lifted a nonchalant shoulder. "Me? Personally Nothing. Thanks to Mr. Norrington, I have everything I want."

Regina's eyes grew wide. The medallion... "Hell no!" She uttered glaring at Derek.

"I'm just here to tie up loose ends." Facilier told them all. "The Savior is mine." He waved his hand, and Emma's body transformed into a black smoke, before disappearing entirely, along with himself.

"NO!" Henry screamed, attempting to run after it. Snow pulled him back, clutching him close as he cried.

 _ **(So close…and still so far…)**_

* * *

 **A/n: In case you're wondering, that song and the chapter were inspired by the movie _Enchanted_. The song is called So Close. I just love that whole dance scene because it was realistic and just…wonderful to watch. What's happened to Emma?! What will the heroes do now? Where the hell is Calico Jack?! All to come in chapter 14. Stick around.**

 **Review/Favorite/Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


	14. Cursed

**A/N: Back again! I APOLOGIZE FOR MY ABSENCE! I got busy with work, and things just got away from me. And when I came back, I was experiencing a bit of writer's block.**

 **I'm excited to announce that after this story, there will be a mini story after it. But I can't expound on it until this story is finished, or it would ruin everything. Seeing as this is chapter 14, and we only have ONE MORE TO GO, I know you'll be as excited as I am.**

 **Thanks for all the reviews, love and support for this story. It has been my most successful yet-and not because of the follows or reviews (because, really-there aren't that many reviews) but because of the encouragement I've received through its entirety.**

Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a Time

Apologies for any mistakes wherein.

Chapter XIV: _Cursed_

* * *

"Somebody start talking-NOW." Killian barked at the group.

Needless to say, the town had run off to safety, leaving the aftermath for the cavalry. All that remained were the Sheriffs, Madame Mayor and her boyfriend, Emma's son, and the short little imp with his lady.

"It's complicated." David told him.

"Then make it simple." Derek's cold, enraged eyes made Snow take step back.

"I think it's about time he knew." Jack claimed coming forward. He had seen the whole thing partially sober with Tink, only half believing it himself.

Regina threw her hands up. "Your real name is Killian Jones. Your Emma's true love, and you died. She went to the Underworld to get back your soul. And she just paid the price."

Derek raised a brow at her, wondering if she were drunk. "Now isn't the time for games Madame Mayor."

"It's true." Henry finally spoke up, wiping away tears. "You were never Derek Norrington. We all just pretended not to know you because my mom said the truth would freak you out."

Derek blinked once, absorbing the information. His gaze wondered to the small mismatched group that Emma seemed close to. He asked Jack, "Is the whole town high?"

Jack exhaled. "You just saw two people disappear in a haze of black smoke. Is it really that hard to believe mate?"

"I believe something is going on here, but it's nothing as far-fetched as magic and mythology." Derek told them. He didn't spare them another moment of his time as he headed towards the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Regina snapped.

"To find Emma, and get her the hell out of this town!" Derek vowed, heading for the woods.

Snow turned to Robin. "Follow him. Emma will never forgive us if he dies twice."

"On it." Robin confirmed, grabbing his arrows on the way out. Snow then gave Jack a sword from the armored statues. "Watch the docks."

Jack nodded with a small smirk. "Aye your majesty." Tink fell in step with him. "I'll come with you. You could use a little magic."

David sighed, knowing his wife was in full momma bear mode. He grabbed Henry by the shoulder. "Come on. We should alert the town."

"I think they already know Gramps." Henry reasoned.

David sighed. "Discretion is the better part of valor, kid. We have to stop them from going into blind panic and forming angry mobs. All parts of ruling a kingdom."

Henry nodded, and headed out with him.

Snow turned to the Golds'. Belle gave an encouraging smile. "I'll see what I can dig up in the library. And Rumple can look for something in his shop."

Rumple rolled his eyes but remained quiet. He had to endure the helpful, selfless hero act in his wife's eyes. Truthfully, he wanted nothing to do with the Shadow Man or Emma.

Snow waited for him to object, but he simply gave a small nod of agreement and let Belle drag him away to do research.

Regina didn't wait for instructions as Snow turned to her. "We need to get to my vault. I have a feeling, we're not going to get much of anywhere with Gold."

Snow agreed. "Yeah, but while he's pretending to be Mr. Nice guy, we can milk him for information."

Regina shook her head. "There's a reason Rumple didn't challenge the Shadow Man, and a reason he came to me and Emma for help."

"He's scared…." Snow realized.

"And if Rumple is scared," Regina sighed, staring into the spot where Emma's body had once lay unconscious, "… then we all should be."

* * *

"Mate, hold on a second, you're going to wear yourself out!" Robin warned, as Derek stumbled through the unfamiliar terrain of the woods.

"Look, I don't need a babysitter, I can handle myself." Derek scolded, sword out in his hand.

"I know all of this is a lot to take in."

"The only thing that's hard to take in, is how a whole town is disillusioned into believing parlor tricks!" He snapped.

"Killian," Robin started. Derek cut him a glare, and he corrected himself. "Derek, sorry. Don't you find it hard to remember why this place is so familiar to you? Or how your life in New York didn't seem like a life at all?"

Derek paused, taking a deep breath. He couldn't deny that a part of him felt empty in New York, or that this place…it was….special. But only because it reminded him of Emma.

"The only thing I know, is that Emma isn't safe here. So when I kill Facilier, I'm taking her with me, and no one better get in my way." He told the Mayor's boyfriend.

Robin just prayed Regina found a way to restore his memories. Because if she couldn't, then he had a feeling, they would never see Emma again-whether by the Shadow Man or Derek.

"Her family is here. She wouldn't leave them." He told Killian.

Derek shrugged. "She told me her family abandoned her when she was young. Her ties to them aren't that strong. And we'll take Henry with us."

"Like hell!" Robin blurted in outrage.

Derek raised a brow, clearly confused. Robin rolled his eyes. He forgot that no one had bothered to clue him in on Emma and Regina's history.

"Emma gave Henry up for adoption when she was 18. Regina adopted him." Robin explained.

"The mayor adopted Emma's kid?" Derek scoffed at the absurdity of it all.

Robin nodded. "I know, it's a crazy story, but Regina won't let Henry leave this town, and neither will I."

"It's not up to you, _mate_." Derek mocked.

Robin took an invading step towards him, his voice low and calm. "I'm not asking _mate._ If you want any future with Emma, I wouldn't slim your chances by trying to separate her from her family. But Henry isn't going anywhere."

Derek frowned, not backing down. "We'll see about that."

* * *

"Okay, so I hope like hell this works." Regina told Snow as they added the last ingredient.

"It's a locator potion. What makes you think it wouldn't?" She asked, reading the books again.

Regina felt guilty even thinking about it. "….Because a locator potion doesn't work if a person is…."

"She isn't!" Snow protested. "I refuse to believe that!"

"I'm not saying she's dead, but in another realm, is a strong possibility." Regina reasoned.

"One way to find out." Snow handed over Emma's baby blanket and Regina poured the potion. The blanket started to glow a soft white light.

"She's alive!" Snow whispered, tears falling.

"Come on. We gotta follow the light." Regina said, heading out of the vault.

They searched for what seemed like hours before ending up at the same lake. The lake Archeron. "It stops here." Regina said, looking around for Emma.

Snow did the same. "I don't see anything. Did we take a wrong turn?"

"No." Gold called, with Belle in tow. "It seems we had the same idea."

"You're not the only one." Robin called from the clearing from the woods. "We searched all over, no sign over her."

Derek appeared to be pissed. "We need to stop wasting time and search the town. I…" He stopped when something caught his eye in the mist. Something was floating on the water.

"What the hell…?" he squinted, trying to see through the fog. "Is that a duck?"

"No…" Snow gasped, realizing what it was. "It's a swan." Taking out her cellphone, she pressed her husband's speed-dial. "David, we found her. Bring Blue."

* * *

"Emma…" David breathed as everyone watched in utter shock, not believing what he was witnessing.

Regina mumbled. "The Shadow Man turned her into a bird?"

"Swan, actually." Robin added, to be technical.

"How does this even make sense?" Belle objected. "Emma Swan is a…a SWAN."

Snow studied her daughter for a while, remembering what the crooked dealer said. "He said, ' _The swan is_ _mine...'_ "

"Shit." David cursed. "He cursed her. We thought she'd have to be his servant, not his pet."

Snow turned to Blue. "You can change her back though right?"

Blue shook her head, apologetically. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do."

"When I was a bug in the enchanted forest, you turned me back!" She remembered using the dark fairy dust on herself.

Blue calmly explained, "That was dark magic. The Shadow Man's power is the source of black magic-completely different, and infinitely more dangerous."

"Blue, if anyone can reverse the spell, it's you!" David encouraged.

"You think I don't want to?!" Blue snapped suddenly.

When everyone's surprised expressions of alarm showed, she tried to take a breath. "I've dealt with this kind of magic before. The Shadow Man was given powers that can only be obtained by Gods. My power, cannot match it. I'm truly sorry."

"When did you go up against black magic?" Regina wanted to know.

Blue seemed forlorn as she simply answered. "Many years ago. When I first became a fairy."

Snow eyed her closely, seeing the tale-tale memory of pain in Blue's eyes. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Blue met the princess's genuine concern. "I lost." She didn't elaborate as she turned to leave.

"So, wait, that's it?!" Derek called to her. "You just walk away?"

Blue appeared weary. "Godly magic did this, and only godly magic can undo it. So I suggest use your aggression to find the Shadow Man." She left the heroes in the woods, to tend to the young children.

Derek turned to the group, running his hands through his hair. "Okay, so what's the bloody plan? You guys got what, voodoo dolls or rabbit's foot?"

"Now's not the time to be cynical." Gold glowered.

"I'm not." Derek snapped. "Clearly, you're all under some illusion that this has to do with witchcraft, and seeing as how no one is coming to their senses, what choice do I have?"

"About time." Jack sauntered over with Tink. "Bloody hell, is that a swan on the lake? It's a little cold for them this time of year."

"No, apparently, that's Emma." Tink analyzed the situation. "Cursed by the shadow man."

Derek noticed his friend's arm was draped lazily over the girl in green's shoulder. _Huh…_ was all he thought. Clearly they were not looking out for him.

Regina raised a brow at their presence. "What the hell, I thought you were watching the docks!"

Jack threw her a skeptical brow, before his dry remark. "Well he clearly wasn't there, was he your majesty?"

"That's not important, you're here now." Snow interjected, bringing them back to focus.

"Indeed." Gold chimed in. "Derek gave the medallion to Facilier, which gives him Godly power. _Unrestricted_ power. He no longer has to do Hades' bidding."

"But his magic is tied to voodoo." Regina told him.

"True." Gold admitted. "He's going to try to do what I tried with the dagger. Use the medallion to sever his soul from the voodoo, but keep the power."

"Well, what if we take his voodoo away?" Derek asked. Everyone paused, staring back at him in surprise. But he was willing to do anything to find Emma. Even if that meant going along with this ridiculous charade.

Jack took another sip of his drink. "Makes sense. He needs magic to use the medallion because without it, the medallion is useless."

"But Blue said dark magic and black magic is different." Robin recalled. " How are we supposed to take away his power and we can't even fight him?"

"Anyone else know voodoo?" Derek looked around, and the group shook their heads. He glared. "Typical."

"Actually, I might know someone." Tink stepped up. "But it's a risk."

"One I'm willing to take." Derek told her with a sigh. "Let's have it."

"A long time ago, there was a witch." Tink started, and Derek rolled his eyes. "Of course there was."

Jack shushed him. "Quiet, I wanna here the story." But he did hand him some of the Rum. Derek took a healthy swig.

"Anyway, the witch was banished to a realm with no magic. According to legend, she was the original creator of voodoo." Tink finished.

"Of course!" Regina realized. "I've read about her in my mother's book. The witch-doctor!"

"As in ting, tang, walla-walla bing bang?" Derek scoffed.

David smirked. "You'll find everything is connected to some form of magic."

"Alright, where the bloody hell is she?" Jason asked.

"Well, we have to get lost." Tink told them. "In order for us to find her, we have to be lost."

"Wait," David furrowed his brow. "The only way to find her is to get lost ourselves? That makes no sense."

"Actually," Belle thought out loud. "It does. If she was banished, then she would be considered, lost. Like a lost soul maybe?"

"Great! So back to the Underworld?" Regina shrieked.

"Not necessarily." Gold said. "We don't need to actually go to the underworld. We can summon her."

"Like we did with Cora." Snow added. "Let's do it. What do we need?"

Jack indicated to the swan. "Well first, I'd say we put the blonde somewhere safe."

"Like where?" Robin asked.

Henry came riding up on a horse. "I know a perfect place."

"Let me guess-Violet's horse?" Regina asked him as he dismounted. Henry didn't say anything, trying to hide a small blush.

David smiled. "Okay Henry, where are we going?"

"To the zoo." Henry announced.

* * *

Everyone watched in amazement as the now captured bird floated gracefully along the water.

Jack had proven to be quite the expert at catching live prey, sporting a black eye for his efforts. In the End, it was Snow who managed to lure it in with bread.

Regina put up a barrier spell around the lagoon. It was amazing. From the distance, you could see the harbor and Killian's boat. The stars were bright. Very romantic, if they weren't in the middle of a crisis.

"Okay," Regina announced, "That should hold her until we can change her back."

Derek eyed the ground, looking for signs of a barrier. "I don't see anything."

"Magic is a bit tricky here in Storybrooke." Robin offered as an explanation.

"When did we have a zoo?" Belle asked Gold. Gold glanced at the queen. "You're asking the wrong one love."

Regina made a disgusted scrunch of the face. "I detest animals."

"It came from me." Snow spoke up. "When I brought everyone back from Pan's curse, I envisioned this place, attached to the aviary."

"Like the one in the Enchanted forest." David remembered, putting an arm around his wife. He'd forgotten how much she used to love the exotic animals, and the birds they'd had.

Snow nodded sadly. "Of course, I didn't expect that it would show up."

"Well that's how the curse works. It puts your desires into effect." Gold said with a slight frown. "Now, let's find this witch-doctor, before I die of sheer impatience."

"Tink, what do we need to summon the witch-doctor?" Regina asked. "We don't have a murder weapon or her murderer?"

"Who said she was dead?" Tink replied. "I said she was banished."

"She's still alive?" Robin wondered. "How is that possible?"

Tink shrugged not really knowing the answer.

Gold rolled his eyes. "If she was banished to a place without time, then she wouldn't age, therefore she wouldn't die."

"We still need a way to summon her." Regina told him. "A conduit."

"Not if we have the person who banished her in the first place." Tink said. "Mother Superior."

* * *

 **A/n: I had to leave you on a cliffy! Sorry for the wait, I know no one is reading this any more! BUT- I'm going to finish the story because I love it. Next chapter ending-plus epilogue- so 2 chapters.**

 **Review/Favorite/ Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


	15. Stay With Me

**A/n: Back with the FINAL chapter of this story. I wanted to thank everyone who ever reviewed, favored, or followed this story! I love _Once Upon a Time_ as a show, and I'm glad to have gotten the chance to write this fiction.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Once Upon a Time**

Chapter XV- _Stay with Me_

* * *

"Here you go mother superior." Astrid said, handing her fresh linen for the children's ward.

"Thank you." Blue smiled briefly, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Astrid asked, seeing the rare stress lines.

"I'm fine. I'll close up the convent for the night. You should be going-wouldn't want to miss your _date._ " Blue hinted.

Astrid blushed, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. Her eyes grew slightly wider with guilt. "Oh please don't be upset! I know I should have told you but-"

"No buts…" Blue interrupted with authority. Taking a deep breath, she admitted, "I took away your chances before, and I realize how wrong I was. You deserve happiness Nova. Being a fairy shouldn't get in the way of that."

Astrid smiled, pulling Blue into a big clumsy hug. "Oh thank you Blue!"

Blue gave a polite two pats on the back. "Go on then. I'll take care of things here."

Nova eagerly took off out the front doors. Blue continued to tidy up, not pausing when she heard the doors reopen. "Did you forget you forget something?"

"Not exactly."

She paused, glancing up to see Killian, staring back at her with annoyance. "I've already told you everything."

"Well, that's exactly true, now is it?" Gold asked, coming up with everyone else.

Blue eyed Tinkerbell and scowled. "What did you tell them?"

Tink crossed her arms. "The truth."

"The truth is relative." Blue countered, raising a brow. "And like I said before, my magic can't help you."

"We don't need your bloody _magic_." Derek spat, as if hating the useless word. "We need to _summon_ someone." He glanced at Jack. "It is _summon_ right?"

Jack nodded. "Pretty sure it is."

"You were the one who imprisoned the witch doctor, so we need you to summon her so we can ask, exactly how to defeat the Shadow Man." Gold explained, taking over from the simple Pirates.

Blue shook her head vehemently. "NO. She isn't to be trusted. She's even more of a scourge than you!"

Gold chuckled, "I doubt that."

"Besides, Rumple is a changed man!" Belle defended giving a loving gaze to her husband. She missed everyone's cynical glares.

Tink exhaled. "We're wasting time! We need to save Emma! Fairies help people with good hearts, that's what you always told me!"

"That witch isn't to be trusted!" Blue repeated staring at them all. "Why do you think she was banished?! Facilier made a deal with her to get his magic. A debt he will never be able to pay!"

"What kind of deal?" Robin asked.

Blue didn't want to say, but she saw that Killian's reincarnation was ready to shake it out of her. "She sold his living soul to Hades. That's why Hades can use him and no one else."

"So the payment is your soul?" Derek asked, feeling even more confused than before. Blue shrugged. "It depends."

"On what exactly?" Regina wanted to know.

Blue threw her hands up. "On what she wants! She doesn't belong in this land or in any other!"

"Look, we don't have time for your emotional constipation!" Gold snapped.

"Help us." David pleaded. "I won't spend the rest of my life, visiting my daughter at the zoo."

"Blue." Snow called out. "Please."

Blue saw that she was cornered. With a heavy heart, she gave in. "Follow me."

* * *

She led them down to the basement of the convent. Past a pair of iron gates. When they all entered, she closed the gates behind them, before sealing it with magic.

"What is this place?" Snow wondered.

"It's a bunker. I had the dwarves build it after The Dark One tried to use the hat against us." Blue told them all. "It's impenetrable against dark magic. So if the worse should happen…"

"The evil will be trapped in here." David finished. "Smart."

Blue crossed her arms. "Now what should I do?"

"Leave the rest to us." Gold nodded towards Regina. They got to work, forming a pentagram and placing several potions around it.

"This might hurt." Regina warned, summoning a knife. She grabbed blue's hand and made a clean slice, the drops falling to the floor. "Ah!" Blue cried out, snatching her hand back.

"Here, let me help." Regina told her, but Blue shook her head. "Don't bother."

Everyone watched as Blue's hand began to heal on its own. Jack smirked. "Well that's a nice trick."

Derek merely nodded.

Gold instructed everyone to stand back as he poured a black dust on the floor, and Regina lit the candles.

"Alright," Gold announced, glaring at Blue. "You know what to do."

Blue felt like slapping him righteously, but she contained herself. Holding up her wand, she closed her eyes, and let her magic flow. The black dust began to dissipate into brilliant colors, before a red fog emerged, creating an oval shape-a mirror.

An old woman with bones around her neck appeared, holding a python. "Well, well…it has been a long time-Blue."

Blue's eyes were unreadable as she gazed at the old witch. "Indeed it has."

The witch cackled a bit, stroking her pet. "Don't tell me, you're going to break your mean streak and release me."

"Not a chance in Hades…" Blue promised.

"We're here for your help!" Snow spoke up. "Our daughter has been cursed by the Shadow Man."

The witch turned to Snow, smiling wickedly. "The savior…"

"Yes, she's the savior!" David agreed on the clarification.

The Witch doctor continued to pet her python. "I cannot help the savior."

"WHAT?!" Regina and Tink shrieked.

"She's been transformed by black magic-YOUR MAGIC!" Blue hollered. "You're the only one who can help."

The Witch doctor studied every person in the room carefully. "I cannot help the savior, because the savior…doesn't need my help." Her eyes darted to Derrick. " _He does."_

"Me?" Derrick asked, already feeling like he was trapped in a very bad twilight episode. "I'm not the one cursed."

"The worse curses are the ones we don't know we're under." The witch advised. "There's a touch of destiny, about you, lad."

Derrick growled, "We're here for EMMA! Get to the point."

The witch sighed, knowing she was getting nowhere with these simpletons. "That is the point! If you want to save your princess, there is a cost."

 _Princess?_ Derrick repeated the word in his mind, wondering if he'd heard her right. Nonetheless, he asked, "What is the cost? Whatever it is, I'll pay it."

The witch laughed. "Oh, we do love it when they say that, don't we Rumple?"

Rumple, who'd been observing, or rather studying her closely, merely nodded.

Robin grabbed Derrick's arm. His voice quiet, he said, "Careful. When dealing with darkness, the cost is rarely worth the risk-and more often than not, you don't get the reward."

"I'll take my chances." He replied. He gave a nod of appreciation for the advice, which Robin returned as he released his arm.

Stepping toward the fogged Mirror, he answered, "Deal! Now how do we defeat Facilier?"

"There is an amulet that contains all of his power. Destroy it, the curse will be broken, and the Shadow man will go back to hell." The witch explained simply.

"Why does that sound easier said, than done?" Regina mumbled.

Blue sighed. "Because it is. _Impossible_ in fact. She's counting on Derrick dying before, he can defeat him."

"I will give you a potion that will give you enough black magic for three days. Got that?" The witch held up her old fingers. "Three Days. Before the sunrises on the 3rd day- you'll have to have defeated Facilier."

"Why three days?" Jack asked.

The witch appeared as if it were the dumbest question in the world. "Because in three days, the Shadow Man will have absorbed the entire savior's life source-he will be immortal."

"What happens to Emma?!" Derrick demanded.

"That dearie is entirely up to you." The witch hackles. "Now, do we have a deal?"

"We do." Derrick nodded. The witch extended her hand. "Let's shake on it."

Derrick cautiously extended his hand towards the mirror. The python moved with quick precision, attacking his wrist it's eyes glowing yellow. The witch doctor took a blade, slicing his left hand clean off.

"ARGGGH!" Derrick hollered, everyone jumping at once to help him. Blue shot to the mirror, focusing all her magic. The mirror began to fade, finally releasing its hold on Derrick.

The witch smiled knowingly, her voice fading-"The days!" she repeated, before disappearing entirely.

"That bitch took my fucking hand!" Derrick hollered in pain. Jack gave him the flask. Regina tried to heal his hand, but it was no use. "I can't make it grow back! Gold?"

Gold shook his head. "It's not my magic." Not that he even wanted to.

"The best we can do is give him something familiar." Blue suggested. "If he was Hook before, then it should be a perfect fit."

Regina nodded, summoning the Hook from the morgue, where Killian's previous body was. It appeared on Derrick's hand, the pain seeming to dissipate. "Better?" she asked.

Derrick just stared at the hook in horror. "What the hell is this?!"

"It's a hook." Robin stated simply.

Panic filled his eyes as he frantically looked at Blue. "All the damn magic tricks in here and you can't bring back my _fucking_ hand?!"

"Life's a bitch, isn't it?" Gold muttered with a smirk. Belle punched him in the arm, giving a chiding look. "Now, I've done my part. The rest is up to you."

He guided Belle out of towards the exit before she could protest.

"Great." Regina was annoyed by the constant setbacks. "Not only do we have to teach him magic and defeat Facilier-we have just 3 days to do it!"

"We'll just have to give him a crash course." Snow said, looking towards Derrick, hopeful. "He still favors his right hand, so it shouldn't be too difficult."

David rolled his eyes heavenwards. "I'll go get the swords."

Robin joined him. "I'll go set up the training grounds..."

"I'll help." Snow trailed behind them.

"Tinkerbelle, and I will try to find where Facilier is hiding." Blue said, and Tink followed her out.

Regina glared at Derrick, who was having his hook examined by Jack. "Follow me. If we're going to face off with Facilier, we don't have time to admire your new hand."

She waved her arm, transporting them out of the cave. Jack just stood there in the dungeon like room, eyeballing the bottom of his flask. "Bloody hell, it's empty." He grumbled and sauntered out.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" Derrick asked as they stood on what appeared to be a forest, in a clearing of a bridge.

"Somewhere you can focus." Regina told him. "It's the where I brought Emma to practice her magic."

"Emma can do magic?" Derrick asked, surprised.

Regina smirked. "She's the most powerful sorceress I've ever seen. But she needed to believe in herself, like you do."

Derrick shook his head. "Look, I'm not a witch, or warlock, or some wizard. I'm still half certain I'm hung over or dead."

"Which is why I am going to break you." Regina explained. "Emma's magic only came when she was emotional. It was her trigger. We need to find yours."

Derrick raised a brow. "And how the hell are you planning to do that?"

"Like this." Regina waved her hand and the bridge under them started to collapse.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Derrick shouted, trying to hold on to the rails.

"Your life is meaningless unless you can defeat Facilier!" Regina shouted to him.

"You crazy witch!" He shouted, trying to grip the ropes tighter.

"Focus on the magic within you!" She said, summoning more magic. The ropes began to unravel.

Derrick tried his best to gain some leverage, but with one hand, he was failing miserably. "Damn you, Regina! Pull me up!"

Regina snapped. "How are you supposed to save Emma, when you can't even save yourself?! You're pathetic!"

At her words, he grew cold. Whatever memories he had from his past, weren't pleasant All those years growing up on the streets, learning nothing but deception, and how to look out for himself. . He remembered his careless mother, and drunken abusive father. He would always beat him, claiming, _'You're weak…'_

" _I AM NOT WEAK!"_ He hollered, emitting a blast from his palm. The flanks of wood began to reassemble as he pulled himself off the cliff.

Regina watched in amazement, seeing the aura that surrounded him. "No, you're not." She agreed with a smile.

Derrick glared at her, his magic taking up most of his energy. "What the bloody hell are you smiling about?"

Regina crossed her arms. "Because, we might actually stand a chance."

* * *

Over the next 48 hours, Derrick went through intense training of sword fighting, arrows, and magic. His brain was in overload as he sat in Granny's diner, trying to unwind.

"It's been two, almost 3 fucking days, and still no sign of Facilier's hideout." Derrick told him. "Meanwhile, I'm getting a college course in fairytales!"

Jack lounged across from him, sipping on his scotch. "So…basically, the royal family kicking your ass?"

"More like torture," Derrick grumbled in admission, taking a swig of his own drink. "But they're calling it training."

"All in a day's work for a hero, I gather." Jack smirked.

"Some bloody hero." Derrick set his glass down a bit hard.

"Well, if it helps at all, you were once the most infamous pirate in all the realms." Jack said. "And a hell of a captain."

"So I've heard." Derrick told him. Henry had shown him the storybook, revealing his past self to him. The kid had explained the real reason Killian Jones died in the first place.

"He seemed like a selfish bastard to me. He succumbed to the darkness and almost sent Emma's whole family to the Underworld!"

Jack shrugged. "The darkness isn't as easy to fight off as one would think. He's probably been struggling with it his whole life. I admit being consumed with the power of the dark one wasn't the smartest move…"

Derrick snorted. "And _this_ is the idiot she's in love with?"

" _Was_." James corrected. "Was in love with."

"She's not in love with me." Derrick told him for what seemed like the millionth time. "She thinks she can bring him back."

"Or," Jack offered another option. "Maybe she's not willing to give up on what you could be."

"And what man is that?" Derrick asked quietly, choosing to stare at the bottom of his now empty glass.

"Her happy ending." Jack reasoned. "Don't act like it's not what you want to."

"It's not." Derrick countered.

"So why did you come back to the ball?" Jack raised a brow.

"To say goodbye!" He snapped a little. "I'm not some shining knight, here to save her from a damn dragon, or whatever the hell Facilier is."

"And yet, you're training to defeat him." Jack's simple statement made Derrick run a hand thought his hair.

"I made a mistake when I gave Facilier the medallion. Once I fix this," He exhaled, his heart heavy. "I'll walk out of her life forever. She deserves better than some street punk from New York."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I knew who you were in New York. For the first time you saw her, there was something different in your eyes.

As he rose, he placed a hand on Derrick's shoulder. "You love her. And when you stop running from yourself mate, you will be the man she deserves."

Tinkerbelle came running through the diner, relieved to find them together. Jack smirked. "Where's the fire darling?"

Tink didn't bother with bantering. "We have to go-NOW." She panted.

"Like _now,_ now?" Derrick asked, glancing down at his barely touched grilled cheese.

"Yes!" Tinkerbelle snapped. "We found where Facilier is hiding."

* * *

Everyone gathered outside what appeared to be a cave. Snow glanced around. "Where is Gold?"

Robin glared at her. "Coward said it wasn't his fight. Meanwhile, he and Belle are help up in the epitome of protection spells at his shop."

"So much for family." David retorted. Turning to Tinkerbelle, he asked. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

Tinkerbelle nodded her head vigorously. "I'm sure. Mother Superior had the fairies do a summons."

"What is that?" Derrick asked her, not liking the sound of it.

"It's when the fairies channel all of their magic into a single force, and spreading it over the land. Whatever part of the land turns black…" Jack trailed off, not needing to finish as everyone stared at him. He cleared his throat, pointing a thumb to Tink. "She told me."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Well, glad to know fairy magic does the same trick as urine reactors in swimming pools."

Snow contained her smile, but sent Regina a laughing glance.

Derrick approached the cave carefully, sensing energy in it. "He's here. But I think it's blocked."

"Protection spell." Regina clarified. "One that I cannot break. It's up to you."

"Me?" he asked doubtful. "Why me?"

"Because you're the only one here with black magic." Regina barked it as if it were obvious. Derrick remembered his lesson on magic blending and balancing sources. "Alright."

"Just focus on the barrier, and how to get through." She instructed more calm.

Derrick nodded, and raised his hand to the cave's entrance. He waited, and nothing appeared to be happening. After several moments, the spell sparked, but faltered.

He sighed, feeling useless. A gentle hand touched his shoulder. Glancing behind him, Snow White nodded encouragingly, her supportive stance, telling him to try again. David joined her. Jack came on the other side of him and did the same.

With a small grin, he raised his arm again, and closed his eyes. He focused on getting to Emma-on no barriers blocking their way. He focused on how she made him feel.

The black magic crackled like electricity and the barriers came down. David smirked. "You did it."

Derrick nodded. "Aye. Now let's go kill this son of a bitch."

"Gladly." Regina agreed, summoning her fire for makeshift torches. Robin handed each couple one. Derrick led the way.

* * *

They wandered the caves silently, hearing whispers in the darkness.

"What is that?" Snow inquired. Tinkerbelle felt the black magic surrounding them. "I think it's the souls from the Underworld. Tortured, and forced to do his dirty work."

"WATCH OUT!" David yelled, covering Snow. The shadows began to charge, swarming around them rapidly.

"It's the shadow man!" Regina hollered over the wailing. "He knows we're here!"

Robin, David, and Jack began to fight off the shadows with their torches as Tinkerbelle shouted to Derrick, "Go! We got this! Get to the Shadow Man!"

Snow covered them with flaming arrows as Regina and Derrick went further into the caves.

However, they didn't get very far, as a pale woman in white stood guarding a tower of steps. She stood in hooded wrags and visionless eyes.

"What the hell is that?" Derrick asked.

"A wraith. Scavengers of the Underworld. They work directly for Hades." Regina informed him, not taking her eyes off the demon.

"My congratulations for you reaching this far." She said the most collected manner. "But I cannot allow you to stop us."

" _Us_?" Regina questioned dryly. "You mean you're not a servant of Facilier?"

"I am a willing participant of this undertaking. Once Lord Facilier has reached full power, the lost souls will finally be free to roam this earth." Her tone went menacing as she smiled. "And you all will burn in the hottest flames of hell."

"We'll see about that." Regina barked, releasing her magic.

The wraith raised its arms at the same time, the magic coming to a crackling standoff. "GO!" Regina shouted to Derrick. Her voice strained as she instructed. "Get to Facilier. Save Emma!"

Derrick wasted no time, climbing the steps as the wraith flung Regina against the wall. As he disappeared through the hall, he saw her stand, wiping blood from her chin with a leer.

* * *

Derrick found the entrance to the belly of the beast. It wasn't hard, seeing as everything was either glowing with different colors of voodoo or on fire.

Facilier stood in the middle of it all, with magic surrounding him. Light mixed with black.

Derrick took a cautious step towards him, summoning his magic.

"You really think you're a match for me Mr. Norrington?" He called back without turning around.

 _So much for the element of surprise._ Derrick raised his sword. "I'm willing to find out."

Facilier turned to him with a skeleton mask and a cheeky grin, raising a brow. "So be it." He raised his bone covered hand.

Derrick went flying into the rocky cave walls, coughing as he crumbled to the floor. He stood, facing the Shadow Man with pure determination. "is that the best you can do?!"

Facilier blew a dust, and disappeared. Derrick braced himself, sensing that he was close. Regina's voice appeared in his mind. _Find your strength, that flame that keeps you going. And when it burns bright as an inferno-STRIKE!'_

" _ARRHHH!"_ Derrick gave a warrior cry and swung his sword, as Facilier appeared, slicing him along the cheek. It was an impressive blow, but hardly fatal.

Faciler stumbled back, feeling hot liquid pour from his face. His hand touched his cheek, before examining the damage. "Been a long time since I've seen my own blood."

"Get used to it." Derrick growled, before striking with accelerated precision. Faciler furrowed his eyes in concentration as he summoned his magic. Two lost souls held Derrick down as he took the sword.

"I admire your efforts, but I'm too close." Facilier said, turning back towards the swarming light magic. "In a few hours all of the Swan's life source will be consumed and I will be their savior!"

"NO!" he shouted. "I'll kill you, I swear to God!"

Facilier just chuckled. "And how are you going to do that?"

' _A touch of destiny….'_ Derrick thought about what the witch had said. Maybe this was what she meant-his purpose. He wasn't destined to be with her, he was destined to _save_ her.

"You like making deals." He remembered. "Take me in Emma's place."

Facilier eyed him as carefully. Derrick persisted struggling against the shadows. "The witch doctor gave me power."

"Mama Oldie gave _you_ power?" Facilier scoffed, but he did release the shadows from holding him to the ground.

"Yes." Derrick stood. He then summoned the magic, his pride glowing as the black flame appeared. The magic dissipated as he closed his hands.

"However much magic she gave you," Faciler said casually, trying not to feel utterly betrayed. "It still isn't enough to defeat me!"

"No." He admitted. "But it is enough for you to use the medallion. You wouldn't have to wait hours. You could rid yourself of Hades, now."

"Hmm…" Facilier stroked his chin. Once he was immortal, he'd be invincible. Not even the Savior could defeat him-which is what the boy was probably naively counting on.

"Deal." He finally agreed, extending his hand.

Derrick took it, feeling the power instantly leave his body. Facilier laughed, as Derrick fell to his knees, weak.

He laughed, using his magic to send Derrick into the wall. "You really are pathetic." Derrick laughed too, smiling maniacally.

"I am a crazy son of a bitch." He admitted, coughing up blood. He stood slowly, facing his death like a man. "But people always do crazy things, when they're in love."

Facilier raised his hand to kill him, having wasted enough time. "Anything else?"

"It was good doing business with you." Derrick panted, holding up the amulet.

Facilier's hands went to his neck, in panic. He tried to conjure his shadows, but nothing came. "NO….NOOOO!"

Derrick took the glass amulet, dropping it beneath his feat. He smashed it under boot. A swarm of shadows escape, attacking Facilier at once, dragging his body to a piercing hole.

As the portal closed, Derrick saw the medallion fall to the floor. Before he could pick it up, a searing pain clutched his heart. Then another.

His eyes shot to his wrist. The python holes appeared on his right wrist this time, turning a dark poisoning blue.

"Derrick?!"

Regina called out, seeing he was hunched over in pain. She caught him as he fell to the floor. The others were running in after her, closing the distance.

"What happened?!" Snow crouched down, seeing his face.

"My…my heart." Derrick panted, wincing in pain.

Tinkerbelle saw the black holes on his wrist. "Come on, we have to get him to Blue!"

Regina waved an arm, transporting them all to Emma's house.

* * *

Tink called Blue, and she appeared by Derrick's side instantly. "It's the poison." Blue examined. "The witch tricked you!"

"Not the witch!" Derrick panted, his eyes shut tight. He coughed ugly, retched breaths. "It was Facilier…Its part of the deal."

"Whoa, what deal?" David asked.

"I offered him a deal…"Derek said through ragged breaths, not being able to catch enough air.

"What?!" Snow asked. "Why would you strike another deal with Facilier after everything that's happened!"

"It was the only way to save her life!" Derrick rasped. "If the bastard would have absorbed all of her magic, he would have killed her."

" Wait." Robin interjected glancing at Regina. "Can we use the medallion on him? You said it yourself, only a person of true strength. "

"Strength of the heart." Regina uttered.

Blue nodded in agreement. "It's the strongest muscle in the body, but the poison is moving too fast. I can't slow it down."

"Maybe I can help."

Everyone turned to see a glowing figure before them. Hercules stood, there, smiling brightly at all of them.

"Herc!" Snow ran to hug him. She examined his golden robes and suit of armor. "So you did it…you're really a god."

Hercules nodded. "Thanks to you. That's why I've come." He took a step towards Derrick. "And because of your bravery, my father has decided to grant you clemency."

"You can stop the poison?" Regina asked hopefully.

Hercules assured them all. "Yes." He then kneeled to Derek's side. "You've proven to be a true hero. And for that, your suffering will be more."

Raising a glowing hand, Hercules hovered over Derek's wound, the poison dissipating. As he rose, he turned to the rest of them. "The poison is gone..."

"Why am I sensing a caveat?" Regina asked out loud.

Hercules nodded solemnly. "Because there is. The medallion can only be used once."

"We only need it one time." David told him. "Yes. If Derek returns to the person you once were, there is no debt to repay, because he would have never existed."

"It could work." Tink assured them. Blue shook her head sadly. "But it won't."

" David." Snow whispered. "If Derek uses the medallion to rid himself of a deal with Facilier…"

"…then we lose Emma?" David concluded, heartbroken for his daughter.

Hercules confirmed their suspicions. "A deal made in the Underworld cannot be undone. Even by my father. "

"How long do I have?" Derek asked quietly.

"Till sunrise." Hercules answered.

"A touch of destiny." Derek mumbled to himself with a small chuckle of irony. He grabbed the medallion, he headed out the door.

"Do you think he'll change his mind?" Robin asked.

"No…" Jack finally spoke up after a lengthening silence. "He's just going to say goodbye."

* * *

Derek approached the shore of the lagoon, clutching the medallion in his hand. The sun would be up any moment. He didn't have much time-ten minutes at most.

"Here goes nothing." He uttered, placing the medallion in the water. The coin glowed bright, creating a wavy path to the swan that gracefully sat on the lagoon waves.

The glow grew brighter as the swan spread its wings, the water swirling in a bluish hue. The winds blew, and the trees swayed. The light grew bright, too blinding to witness much else. Derrick covered his eyes, bracing his feet as the magic push him back.

When the water cleared, he could barely believe his eyes. There she was, standing there, in an all-white gown, beautifully woven. The bodice consisted of swan feathers that sparkled like diamonds. ' _She's alive.'_ he thought, with relief.

Emma could barely move in the elegant ball gown she was in, but she felt eyes on her as she tried to make sense of what was going on. ' _What the hell…?'_

"Emma."

Her gaze shot up at the sound of his voice. Derrick stood in the distance, staring as if he's never seen her before. In a way he hasn't.

"Derrick." She answered back, seeing the worry in his eyes. It was near dawn, the barely breaking. She smiled at him, remembering their dance.

"So it is true." He took a careful step towards her, examining the gorgeous tiara she was wearing. She was standing there, sunlight behind her, glowing in white. "You really are a princess."

Guessing her family had filled him in, Emma nodded, looking down at the dress. "Yeah…something like that."

"Your family will be here in a moment." Derrick told her, taking her hands in his.

She looked around the lagoon. "Where the hell are we? What happened?"

"You're safe. The Shadow Man has been…defeated." He announced, trying to think of words used in fairytales. _Defeated, vanquished, conquered_ …

"How?" She asked.

Derrick sighed, staring into her big green eyes. He would miss them. "Your family will be here soon, and they'll explain. I just came to make sure the curse was broken, and to say goodbye."

Emma took a step back. "You…You're leaving?"

He nodded sadly. "There was a price to pay for what had to be done." He raised his arm slightly to show her his hook.

She gaped at the familiar hook. "What was the price?"

Derrick touched her cheek. "That I can never see you again."

"No!" Emma choked out. "I found you! I mean, we…"

Derrick quieted her with a finger on her lips. "It's alright. I was never going to be the man you really wanted anyways."

But Emma just shook her head. "It doesn't matter if you're or Derrick Norrington, Killian Jones, or even Captain Hook. I love _you_."

He nodded, smiling miserably. "That's why it hurts so much."

"There has to be a way to save you too!" She insisted.

He confessed. "They told me what you did for him. Now I get to return the favor."

"Don't!" She snapped, not willing to hear the end of that sentence. "Don't go! Just…stay with me!"

Derrick's voice cracked a little. "I'm sorry; you have to let me go."

"I can't!" She shrieked. "I _belong_ to you!"

At hearing her words, tears formed in his eyes. She had no idea how hard she was making this. How could they feel so strongly for each other? It was almost like…like magic.

Emma couldn't calm her high pitched voice, as she confessed, "I have no more walls because you've shattered every brick! I gave you my heart, and I cannot lose that again! I will NOT ever let go!" she vowed, her voice hoarse with tears, eyes determined, if teary.

He didn't bother to argue with her. It was either her life, or his own, and he'd already made the choice. Seeing the sunrise behind her, he whispered. "Goodbye Emma Swan. I love you."

He pulled her to him, pressing her lips fiercely to his. Their tears mingled as he deepened the kiss, committing the feeling to his last memory.

Emma felt something powerful erupt. A magical aura surrounded them as energy surged through the entire town. It was so prevailing, the water lapped rapidly in swells out of the lagoon.

When she finally ended the kiss, she opened her eyes, finally ready to let go. But her breath caught in her throat as a new light shined in Derrick's eyes. It was familiar, and warm. She gasped, "… _Killian?!"_

* * *

 **A/n: Thanks so much for reading! IT was a long chapter that honestly should have been two chapters but I didn't want to leave you waiting anymore. I added a bit of Ursula in the mix because I just love her for a villain. What did you think? Oh...you didn't think ended the story like that, did you? The Epilogue is a separate story! Read what happens next in the mini epilogue which I don't have a title for! Please help me with a title! Post it in the reviews.**

 **Review/ Favorite/ Follow-me!**

 **-R.**


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